Turtle Creek Station

Turtle Creek Station is beginning to turn the corner from construction to operations. During the week of Nov. 4, a major milestone called “first fire” is taking place. The exact date and time first fire will take place has some fluidity, with many moving pieces that should take place by the end of this week. We are currently on track for first fire to take place on Thursday, November 7th or Friday, November 8th. During this first fire, the gas turbine, Unit 1, is brought up to operational speed, essentially becoming capable of generating electricity, using natural gas as fuel.

Close neighbors or passersby may see some visible gray smoke coming out of the stack exhaust at the plant during this time. The smoke is caused by the burn-off of coating, dust or other debris in the piping. As the generating units are tested and tuned, exhaust will become much less noticeable. It will dissipate within approximately 15-minutes. While first fire can be noisy inside the plant, we do not expect the noise to be noticeable outside the plant.

The unit will then run on natural gas for about 22 days, generating electricity at different levels for testing. Then it will shut down for several weeks before coming back online, but with diesel fuel oil. This will result in another start-up process that will take place at Turtle Creek Station, but with fuel oil, in early December.

Unit 2, which is currently nearing the end of construction, is scheduled to begin its first-fire process shortly after Unit 1 – within the window that Unit 1 is running on natural gas.

We are excited about this next big step as we grow and diversify our generation resources to keep reliable, resilient power flowing to our customers.

Deliveries of commodities needed for Turtle Creek 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 Fairview Road at the site entrance, and continuing along S. 168 St and Platteview Road.

OPPD will treat Fairview Road in effort to reduce dust created from these deliveries.

Construction continues at Turtle Creek Station with progress nearing 90% completion. Equipment startup and commissioning activities have ramped up and are in full swing. Landscaping work is also well under way as more than 350 new trees and shrubs will be planted near and around the facility. Key activities planned for August include continued equipment startup and commissioning, moving furniture and other equipment into the administration building and preparation for fuel deliveries.

With site progress at about 82%, construction activities are ramping up ahead of commissioning as the generation facility is scheduled to go online later this year. As the crews works diligently to meet this deadline, 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.

OPPD announced plans to add a total of four combustion turbines capable of producing 225 MW each – three at OPPD’s Cass County plant and one at Turtle Creek Station. The new units are expected be online by 2030. For more information, please see this story in The Wire.

Siemens was selected to manufacture the units, and the units will be the same as the combustion turbines at Turtle Creek Station today.

TCS Aerial January 2024 – Facing Southeast

Turtle Creek Station’s substation has been completed and energized in November.

For the generation part of the site, all the major equipment is on site, construction activities continue, and the site is preparing for commissioning in the coming months. During the commissioning process, OPPD works with its construction contractors and turbine manufacturers to ensure all systems are working properly and the facilities are ready to produce energy.

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

Turtle Creek Station is scheduled to come online late this summer, for more highlights of recent progress, please see this story in The Wire.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 1, and again on Sunday, Oct 8, specialized large-equipment movers on behalf of Omaha Public Power District will move two Generator Step-up (GSU) Transformers to the Turtle Creek Station site at 168th & Fairview Rd. in Sarpy County.

A GSU transformer is designed to step-up generator output to a higher voltage that’s ready to connect to the transmission network.

Just one of these transformers, loaded on a trailer, weighs about 437,500 pounds. Together, the truck and trailer set-up measures 311-feet long and weighs 879,200 pounds. The transformer equipment arrives to our area by rail before being loaded on a trailer for the final leg of its journey to the new plant.

The work to move the units to Turtle Creek Station is scheduled at night to ensure minimal traffic disruption, as brief road closures may be needed. OPPD and our contracted large-equipment movers have coordinated with city, county, and state officials, as well as members of law enforcement, to ensure the safety of the public and workers along the route.

If members of the public come across this move, we ask that they refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles and stay far back from the work taking place so that we can complete it safely.

Above ground construction at Turtle Creek Station is well underway. Overall assembly of units 1 & 2 combustion turbines and respective stack formation are making visual progress. Additionally, the power distribution center has been set. The substation is now nearing final stages of construction.

Facing Southwest, Aerial View, June 2023

A lot of construction progress has been happening on site the last few months as seen in this aerial photo. Recent focus has been on major equipment assembly and the administrative building.

Major transmission work is complete, which will connect Turtle Creek Station to the electric grid. Additional transmission work will take place in the fall to coordinate energization.

Facing North – Construction Progress as of April 2023

Construction progresses during the winter months for the substation at Turtle Creek Station with concrete duct bank pours, ground grid installation, and steel support erection underway.

The administration building walls are going up with framing activities subsequently following.

In the generation or power block area, both sets of Siemens Energy gas turbines and generators were placed on their foundation last month.

Facing North - Substation Construction Progress