SHREVEPORT, La. (September 12, 2022) – Southwestern Electric Power Co., an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, announced today that the company has begun the process to remove the nearly century-old chimney stacks at its Arsenal Hill Power Plant in Shreveport.
The two chimneys, each standing at 275 feet tall, have not been used since the 1970s when the plant’s original generating units were retired. A recent inspection raised potential safety concerns regarding the deterioration of the concrete chimneys, which ultimately led to the decision to remove the chimney stacks.
“The Arsenal Hill chimneys have been a part of the downtown Shreveport skyline for nearly 100 years,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Smoak. “While the chimneys are a part of Shreveport history, removing them will mitigate potential risks to our employees and our operations.”
The oldest in the SWEPCO generation system, Arsenal Hill’s first unit began generating power in 1926. The existing natural gas-fueled Arsenal Hill Unit 5 was placed in service in 1960.
SWEPCO contracted ICC Commonwealth to remove the chimneys. The process began in August and will continue throughout the fall. A remote-controlled hydraulic jackhammer, called a mantis, will be used to safely remove the concrete chimneys, working from top to bottom. This will allow the plant to remain in operation during demolition and keep debris from damaging nearby buildings.
The chimney removal will not impact generation operations at Arsenal Hill or the adjacent Stall Unit. The two units generate 621 megawatts (MW) of electricity for SWEPCO customers – less than 10 percent of the company’s generation mix.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, serves more than 543,000 customers in Northwest and Central Louisiana, Northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and Western Arkansas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and LinkedIn.com/company/swepco.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,900 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to achieve an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieve net zero by 2050. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.