Panda Hummel Station Power Project
The Panda Hummel Station power project is a clean natural gas fueled, 1,124-megawatt combined-cycle generating facility. The plant can supply the power needs of more than 1 million homes and make a significant contribution to the area economy. The power facility will be located at the site of the retired Sunbury coal-fired power plant in one of the largest coal to natural gas power replacement projects in the United States.
The 1,124-MW Panda Hummel Station Power Facility (Snyder County, Pa.)
Facility Facts
Location: Shamokin Dam Borough; Snyder County, Pa.
Site Size: 19 acres
Size: 1,124 Megawatts; Will supply the power needs of more than 1 million homes in Pa.
Technology: Combined cycle
Fuel: Clean, natural gas
Air Permit Received: Pennsylvania Air Plan Approval 55-00001G has been issued
Construction Start Date: June 25, 2015
Construction Time: Approximately 30 months
Commercial Operation: June 2018
Facility Status: Panda Power Funds exited the investment in 2020.
Temple Power Plant Facility Highlights
The Panda Hummel Generating Station Will:
- Replace the retired Sunbury Generation coal-fired power plant in one of the largest coal to natural gas power replacement projects in the United States
- Help support a long-term market for Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale gas producers and royalty owners
- Serve as the anchor tenant in a new Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone (KOEZ), supporting additional investment on the property of the retired coal power plant
- Make a significant economic contribution to Central Pennsylvania
- Create approximately 900 total construction jobs; 35 direct jobs to operate the plant and 52 indirect jobs to support the plant
- Utilize the latest, most advanced emissions-control technology, making it one of the cleanest natural gas fueled power plants in the United States
- Use 97 percent less water for cooling purposes than the coal-fired power plant it replaces
Market Need
- More than 20 gigawatts of coal-fired power plant retirements have been announced to take place in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) market in the next few years, setting the stage for tightening reserve requirements
- More than 70 gigawatts of power plants in PJM average 56 years of age
- Total peak demand growth of over 1.4 percent per year, or approximately 2,200 MW per year
Temple Power Plant Financing
Equity: Panda Power Funds and institutional co-investors including Siemens Financial Services which invested $125 million in equity
Debt: Lead arrangers – Goldman Sachs, ICBC and Investec arranged debt financing totaling $710 million
Construction and Technology Providers
Siemens Energy Inc — one of the world’s largest suppliers of turbine technology — will provide the power island package including the natural gas turbines, steam turbine and waste heat recovery boilers
Bechtel — one of the world’s largest construction and engineering companies — will be responsible for the engineering and procurement for the balance of the plant and the installation, construction and commissioning of the facility
Learn more about relationship between Panda, Bechtel and Siemens in this video produced by Bechtel for their Project of the Year competition
Contact us if you are interested in being a vendor or an employee for the Hummel project.
About Shamokin Dam
Shamokin Dam, on Routes 11 and 15, lies just south of the confluence of the west and north branches of the Susquehanna River. Its name is derived from a ten foot dam that was built across the Susquehanna River in the 1800s. The dam supported steamboat ferries run by Ira T. Clement, which transported goods and people between Shamokin Dam and the city of Sunbury on the Northumberland County side of the river. These ferries operated from 1772 until the Bainbridge Street Bridge was built in 1907. The dam also provided water to the Susquehanna Division of the Pennsylvania Canal System which was constructed on the Shamokin Dam side of the river. The dam was destroyed by ice in March 1904.
Pennsylvania was, for centuries, the home of many Native American tribes. During the 1600s the region was dominated by the Haudenosaunee Iroquois Confederacy, which included the Mohawks, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, the Tuscaroras, the Senecas and the Oneidas. Conflicts between settlers and the native peoples resulted in deaths on both sides. Eventually, the native peoples were pushed out by the white settlers after the French and Indian War. Germans were among the first European settlers in the region. Their influence continues today in the presence of the Amish and Mennonite sects.
Shamokin Dam was founded by George Keen in 1745. At the time it was named Keensville. Most of the residents were canal workers, raftsmen, shad fishermen and eel fishermen. Restaurants and hotels provided support for the workers and travelers. A lock for the Pennsylvania Canal was located on the riverbank. Most of the local commerce at that time was revolving around transportation and supporting the canal.