Canal is a 37-year-old plant that has consistently renewed itself with fresh ideas. For example, in 1972, one of the plant's oil-fired units was the first to be retrofitted with an electrostatic precipitator to control pollution. And in 2000, the plant was the first in the United States to install selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control technology on an oil-fired unit. Today the plant continues to look for ways to improve with environmental and efficiency enhancements.
Other Environmental Highlights
Technology enhancements
- Continuous emissions monitoring on both units for opacity (smoke), SO2, NOx, and carbon monoxide (CO)
- Retrofitted both units with low-NOx combustion burners and electrostatic precipitators (which extract particulate matter out of the exhaust gas)
- Retrofitted Unit 2 with dual fuel capabilities, allowing it to burn natural gas
Canal Dredging
In the spring of 2004, Mirant dredged part of the Cape Cod Canal near the plant, removing 40,000 to 60,000 cubic yards of sand to enable easier navigation of the waterway. The company furnished equipment to reposition the sand on a 2,000-foot span of dunes along Town Neck Beach, helping offset some of the beach's ongoing erosion.
Community Outreach
Community Boating
Mirant provides financial and volunteer support to help keep Community Boating afloat. This nonprofit organization makes it possible for local children and teens to enjoy a summer of sailing for just $1. In 2006, Mirant funded the repair of a safety launch — a motorboat used to assist distressed boaters — and rebuilt a 20-foot launch platform.
Falmouth Road Race
Mirant employees went the distance — seven miles to be exact — for local charities in the 34th annual Falmouth Road Race. Runners’ entry fees were distributed to more than 30 nonprofit organizations, raising over $750,000 for various causes.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Competitors at the Cape Cod Swim Club now have the benefit of an electronic scoreboard to track their times, courtesy of a donation by Mirant.
Sandwich High School
For the 2006 school year, Mirant partnered with Sandwich High School in Sandwich, Massachusetts, to support a new curriculum in energy, environmental technology and regional planning. Mirant funded the cost of various equipment and expenses to help students pursue a variety of energy conservation projects.
Special Olympics
Mirant is supporting the 2006 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics with a cash donation and employee volunteers. The run is the largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics, an organization that enables children and adults with intellectual disabilities to train and compete in a range of Olympic-type events.
Electric Competition in Massachusetts