| Work Detail |
Any bold effort in todays society comes with its own set of critics. Thats certainly the case with Project Tundra - Minnkotas plan to build one of the worlds largest carbon capture projects at a North Dakota power plant. Unfortunately, those critics - mostly from out of state - played an outsized role in an article published by the North Dakota News Cooperative, which also appeared in the McLean County Independent this past week. It was disappointing that, outside of Minnkota, only individuals and institutions that oppose the project were selected to provide an assessment of its technology, economics and overall value. There was no reference to the dozens of industry-leading experts working directly on the project. No mention of the immense support weve received from our member cooperatives and the electric consumers in our region. And a fundamental lack of understanding of the landowners and community members around the power plant who recognize the importance of the good-paying jobs and economic activity generated by the industry - and the potential opportunities carbon capture and storage provides. It takes all these people working together, as well as broad bipartisan support at the state and federal level, to make this project possible. It is a North Dakota story that was told in part by people who view North Dakota as an afterthought. As Project Tundra continues to see success, efforts to influence public opinion on carbon capture and storage will only continue to grow. The implied alternative to Project Tundra is to simply shut down our most reliable and resilient coal plant in favor of wind, solar and batteries. Its an intellectually dishonest argument, especially as North Americas grid operators and regulators warn of the increasing risk of rolling blackouts due to insufficient resources. While 42% of Minnkotas generation capacity is already derived from carbon-free wind and hydro, we recognize that our coal plants provide that necessary backbone to our system. Even after decades of operation, these facilities continue to reach new milestones for reliability and operating performance. Needless to say, we take our responsibility as an essential service provider seriously - especially in a region that must manage harsh conditions from 100-degree summer days to 40-below-zero winter nights. If electricity isnt available during these critical times, the regions consumers wont be calling East Coast think tanks, West Coast special interest groups or faraway college professors. Theyll be turning to Minnkota and its member cooperatives - the same organizations theyve relied on for more than 80 years. We were formed many decades ago by rural North Dakotans and Minnesotans, and we still exist today to improve their quality of life. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we arent risktakers or gamblers. We are putting the proper protections in place to ensure the electric rate impacts associated with Project Tundra are minimal or nonexistent. The project will use the same basic federal tax credit structures that renewable energy projects have leveraged since the 1990s. Were taking the necessary time to ensure the engineering work is completed and thoroughly reviewed. Were navigating an entirely new world of supply chain challenges with caution and common sense. As we approach a final decision on the project in early 2024, were managing the associated risks responsibly. As for the critics, were left with a disheartening contradiction: Many of the same people pushing for immediate reductions in carbon emissions are also directly opposing Minnkotas efforts to become one of the fastest decarbonizing utilities in the nation. While there is still much work ahead of us to get Project Tundra to the finish line, the list of North Dakotans who believe in this project is far greater than the detractors. Thats what matters to us. Mac McLennan is the Minnkota Power Cooperative President and CEO. ÖBB has started the Koralmbahn tests carried out especially on the rail bridges subjected to a stress test. Trials have launched first on the 600 metres Drau Bridge in the Völkermarkt area, the future longest railway bridge in Carinthia. In the current tests, up to six ÖBB locomotives, each weighing around 80 tonnes, are simultaneously loading the bridge structures.Meanwhile, all static data is collected and meticulously evaluated.In this way, the smallest deformations in the structure can be determined along the bridge.These are then compared with the previously calculated values.The locomotives had to be maneuvered to ten different positions so that all spans of the 600 meter long Drau Bridge were actually covered. The stress test tour continues with the new Klopeiner Seebachbrücke, a new underpass and the railway bridge at Peratschitzen. The Jauntalbrücke,, one of the highest railway bridges in Austria, will be completed in October. Work is currently still underway on the new bridge support structure for the Koralmbahn (Koralm Railway). In June, the first passenger train crossed the 33 km twin tube Koralm tunnel which connects the southern states of Carinthia and Styria. The Koralmbahn tests in Carinthia are preparing the opening of the line between Klagenfurt and St. Paul im Lavanttal at the end of this year, with plans to complete the entire Koralmbahn between Graz and Klagenfurt in 2025. The Koralmbahn new route has a length of 130 km of which 50 km are built in the tunnel. The new line has also 100 bridges and 23 stations and stops. The Koralm Railway is part of the new Southern Line in Austria and one of the most important infrastructure projects in Europe, crossing the Koralpe massif more quickly and with more comfortable. The fastest connection will shrink from three hours to just 45 minutes. Western Styria and southern Carinthia can be reached even more easily – as can our neighbouring countries Hungary and Italy. |
