Bremo Power Station

Bremo Power Station is the oldest coal-fired power station managed by Dominion Energy. Bremo's two generating units can generate more than 240,000 kilowatts of electricity – as much in one hour as 24 average homes use in a year. The station generates about 3 percent of all the power used by the homes, businesses and industries in the company's 30,000-square mile service area.

The station's first two generating units went into service in 1931 and had a total capacity of 30,000 kilowatts. After operating longer than their projected lifetimes, those units were removed from service in 1972. The third and fourth Bremo units went into service in 1950 and 1958 respectively. Unit 3, the smaller of the two, has a capacity of 80,000 kilowatts. Unit 4 has a capacity of 170,000 kilowatts.

Bremo Power Station is located on Bremo Bluff overlooking the historic James River in central Virginia's Fluvanna County. The station property includes the historic Spring Garden home and land. This was part of a tract purchased by Richard Cocke in 1725. The home on the property, restored by Virginia Power for use as a conference and training center, was built in two parts. The older of these parts may have been constructed in the 1700s. The second part of the home was probably completed in the early 1800s.

About the Environment

As with any coal-burning power station, Bremo produces particles known as fly ash. After the smoke, or flue gas, containing fly ash leaves the station's boilers, it passes through electrostatic precipitators. The precipitators act like giant electric air cleaners and remove about 99 percent of the ash and other particles contained in the gases. The cleansed gases are then vented to the atmosphere through one of two tall stacks at the station.

Bremo Power Station also uses low nitrogen oxide (NOx ) burners that reduce the gas from the flue emissions. Nitrogen oxide is one of the causes of air pollution. The fly ash removed from the gases, together with ash from the bottom of the boilers, is loaded on trucks and hauled to a disposal site near the station where it is disposed in an environmentally safe manner.

Brief Facts

Net Generating Capacity: 250,000 kilowatts

Generating Capacity by Unit:
Unit 1 - (Retired in 1972)
Unit 2 - (Retired in 1972)
Unit 3 - 80,000 kilowatts
Unit 4 - 170,000 kilowatts

Average Daily Coal Consumption: 2,500 tons

Commercial Operation -
Unit 3 - 1950
Unit 4 - 1958

Station Employees: +/- 75

Boiler Manufacturer -
Units 3 & 4 - Babcock and Wilcox

Turbine Generator Manufacturer -
Units 3 & 4 - Westinghouse Electric Corp.

Engineer/Builder -
Stone & Webster Engineering Corp.

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