Brandon Generating Station

Brandon Generating Station is a natural gas-fired power station owned by Manitoba Hydro, located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. The station was first built to burn lignite from Saskatchewan.

Brandon Generating Station
Natural-gas fired combustion turbine building at Brandon GS
Country	Canada
Location	Brandon, Manitoba
Coordinates	49°50′43″N 99°53′21″W
Status	Operational
Commission date	1958
Owner	Manitoba Hydro
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Natural gas
Turbine technology	Steam turbine Gas turbine
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	340 MW

On 1 January 2010, Unit 5, the sole coal-fired unit, was downgraded to emergency use only, per section 16 of the Manitoba Climate Change and Emissions Reductions Act.^[1][2] Unit 5 was permitted to operate as a generator only under certain circumstances:^[3]

• To prevent a situation which would lead to a disruption or destabilization of the power supply.
• In drought years where demand exceeds forecasted supply.
• To maintain the generator in a state of readiness and availability.

The last allowance required Unit 5 to operate for 3–4 days each month at 10–15% of maximum capacity.^[2] Unit 5 stopped burning coal on August 1, 2018, and was converted to a synchronous condenser.^[4]

Description

The station consists of:^[5][6]

• 4 x 33 MW units (In 1996 three units were retired, and the last retired in 2001)
• 1 x 105 MW coal-fired unit. (Added in 1970, and Converted to Synchronous Condenser operation in 2018)
• 2 x 140 MW Alstom natural gas units (installed in 2002).