Standing Bear Lake Station

During the week of Dec. 2, all OPPD Standing Bear Lake Station engines completed the “first fire” milestone on fuel oil. As a duel-fueled plant, the process of “first fire” on natural gas will begin as soon as Dec. 15, with noticeable activities happening on the site before then. The next round of engine firing begins with the generators connecting to the grid, firing again on fuel oil ahead of natural gas, and then completing first fire on natural gas and running the engines under different operating loads.

As each of the nine engines go through this complex testing process, neighbors may hear or see new things happening, such as smoke or exhaust, or an increased amount of noises coming from the plant, as the engines are tested and tuned at the varying operating loads. The testing of all engines on both fuel sources will take a couple months as they test safety functions, install and tune the exhaust systems that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and test a variety of performance parameters. As the generating units continue to be tested over the next several weeks, exhaust should become much less noticeable.

Standing Bear Lake Station is expected to be substantially complete and ready to generate electricity commercially in February 2025.

Standing Bear Lake Station successfully fired up its first units on Monday, Dec. 2, on its way to complete the “first fire” milestone on all nine engines using fuel oil. We estimate it may take approximately one week to start each of the nine engines on fuel oil. The process will be done with fuel oil first. It will then need to be repeated with natural gas.

As part of the first-fire process with fuel oil, close neighbors or passersby may see some visible black smoke coming out of one of the exhaust stacks at the plant. When first fire begins with natural gas at a later time, the smoke will be grey at first.

The duration of the first-fire process is roughly the time needed for the unit to complete start up. For the units at Standing Bear Lake Station, this is approximately five minutes per engine, and this process is repeated 20-25 times per engine, but the first one will be the most noticeable. Numerous starts and stops are necessary to test and fine-tune the units, as well as support safety, reliability and environmental compliance.

The testing of all engines on both fuel sources should take about six to seven weeks.

The plant is expected to be complete and ready to start generating electricity commercially in early 2025.

OPPD’s Standing Bear Lake Station is beginning to move from construction into the commissioning stage in preparation for operation. As activities increase, neighbors may notice more traffic entering the site, located just off Military Road.

A major milestone for the plant will take place soon with what’s known as “first fire.” During first fire, an engine is brought up to operational speed, essentially becoming capable of generating electricity. Close neighbors or passersby may see some visible black smoke coming out of the stack exhaust at the plant during this time. As the generating units are tested and tuned, exhaust will become much less noticeable.

This process is very fluid, and dates of testing can fluctuate. First fire may begin as early as Dec. 2. Once started, we estimate it may take approximately one week to start each of the nine engines on fuel oil. The process will be done with fuel oil first. It will then need to be repeated with natural gas. The testing of all engines on both fuel sources should take about six to seven weeks. This dual-fueled plant is expected to be substantially complete and ready to generate electricity in January 2025. 

OPPD and its contractors are making great progress on the construction of Standing Bear Lake Station. On October 22nd, between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., workers will conduct a series of “air blows” to clear dust and debris out of air compressors and associated piping. This is necessary for safe and efficient plant startup. Think of it like blowing out water in your sprinkler system to get it ready for the winter.

This work does create a high frequency, loud noise. Since it will occur within plant walls, we expect that most of that sound will be muffled. However, it’s possible neighbors could hear some noise with each of six air blows, lasting about 15-seconds at a time. This work will be done within one day to minimize any inconvenience to the surrounding area. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we continue to work to ensure we have the resources needed to support our growing and thriving communities.

Deliveries of commodities needed for Standing Bear Lake Station continue as construction moves closer to the end and towards an operational site. Please be aware of extra truck traffic entering and exiting along Military Road at the site entrance. Please note, this is a change as previously deliveries entered along 120th Street.

As we prepare the pipes and lines for use, air compressors are used to send a pressurized air blow through the system to clean it out. Most of the larger pipes have already been cleaned through pulsed air blows. Smaller lines will be blown out using continuous air blows to clean and dry the inside of the piping. This work continues through August but is not expected to be as loud and will be continuous, rather than pulsed, if heard or felt.

The week of July 1 through July 8, weather permitting: Landscaping crews will be accessing the treelined area between the Rambleridge neighborhood and the Standing Bear Lake Station facility from Rambleridge Road. Neighbors may see a few trucks and equipment entering the area to plant some additional trees between the neighborhood and the facility.

Update: This work is complete. Metropolitan Utilities District crews are scheduled Wednesday, June 12, to simultaneously conduct purging of gas near 117th & Fort St. and 117th & Military Rd. This work is being done in coordination with Omaha Public Power District’s Standing Bear Lake Station. Purging is part of the process that involves venting air from a pipeline and replacing it with natural gas. The purging is expected to run during the morning.

During this time, those living or working near the purge area may notice loud noises and dust. Additionally, you may notice a strong smell of gas in the area. For easy detection, a chemical (mercaptan) is added to give gas a distinctive odor like a skunk or rotten eggs. The gas odor may persist depending on wind or other environmental conditions. If you smell gas, leave the building or area, and then call 402.554.7777 or 911.

M.U.D. responds to all notifications of natural gas odors. M.U.D. will check suspected gas leaks at no charge. For more natural gas safety information, visit https://www.mudomaha.com/news/natural-gas-safety/.

With site progress at about 90%, construction activities are ramping up ahead of commissioning as the generation facility is scheduled to go online later this year. As the crews work diligently to meet this deadline, limited shifts will continue into the night at times as we approach operation. Night shifts are expected to have smaller crews and will adhere to all permits and ordinances necessary.

Standing Bear Lake Station Aerial View January 2024 (facing east)

Standing Bear Lake’s substation was completed and energized in December, and transmission work for the plant is complete.

This month, Wärtsilä, the manufacturer of Standing Bear Lake Station’s reciprocating internal combustion engines, continues the second phase of engine assembly. The focus at Standing Bear Lake in the coming months is finishing major electrical work in the site’s engine hall, five power distribution centers and supporting facilities.

The lighting and paving work is also underway, along with beautification and other cosmetic work. Also coming in 2024 will be site landscaping work.

Standing Bear Lake Station is set to come online this summer, for more highlights of recent progress, please see this story in The Wire.

There will be an uptick in transmission construction activity near Standing Bear Lake Station through September.

Towards the end of August and into September, OPPD’s partner contractor, Brink Constructors, will be accessing the M.U.D. campus with various trucks and tractor trailers by way of Hartman Avenue and Rambleridge Road to deliver poles and other structure materials to the site.

Additional activity will be seen along Military Road and on M.U.D.’s campus as Brink Constructors begins erecting the transmission lines that will connect the new Standing Bear Lake Station to the electric grid. While there will be increased truck traffic, and the occasional, short duration lane blockage, the bulk of the construction will happen off the roadway and should not negatively impact traffic in the area.

Also near Military Road, portions of the site’s north entrance off Military Road will be paved. Increased truck traffic and construction workers may be present for this construction during the last week of August through mid-September.

Please use precaution while activities are in progress on Military Road. As always, please do not follow trucks in to work zones and make sure you look out for any traffic signage in the area.