2g. New Technologies: Coal Dryers

As mined, lignite is approximately one-third moisture. This makes it uneconomical to transport by rail, because a third of each rail car is water. However, a coal drying facility at Coal Creek Station has made transporting lignite a more economical process. 

When developing the coal dryer, a prototype model was built adjacent to the plant. The coal was pulverized and then dried using waste heat from the plant. Tests were run to find the ideal amount of heat and time. After the process was optimized, eight coal dryers were installed. Since late 2009, dried coal from Coal Creek Station by Underwood, ND has been transported to the Spiritwood Station by Jamestown.