Out With Old Fossil Fuels And In With Natural Gas As Lakeland Demolishes Coal Plant

LAKELAND, FL — Here's the chance to watch the explosive demise of an energy dinosaur.

Lakeland Electric and Total Wrecking & Environmental are raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project by offering those who make a donation to the Wounded Warrior campaign an exclusive live-streamed link to the demolition of the city's coal-powered plant.

Those interested in live-streaming this historic demolition must donate by Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. to ensure they receive the link. Click here to donate. Be sure to leave a name and email address when donating.

The campaign has already raised $1,114 for the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health, career counseling and long-term rehabilitative care to veterans wounded while serving their country.

Frank Bodami, CEO and founder of Total Wrecking & Environmental, based in Buffalo, New York, said anyone donating to the campaign will have a front-row seat to an unforgettable sight.

On Saturday morning, Jan. 14, community leaders and project managers will be on hand to watch the first implosion phase at the C.D. McIntosh Power Plant at 3030 E Lake Parker Drive, Lakeland, as Total Wrecking & Environmental demolishes a 260-foot stack and a 90-foot selective catalytic reduction unit that have been in operation for more than 40 years.

Over the next year or so, Total Wrecking will complete the demolition and removal of the three coal-fired units to make way for a state-of-the-art 120-megawatt natural gas-fired generator.

Demolition crews have been preparing for this day for six months, Bodami said, who said he'll be front and center for the event.

After working for more than 35 years in the national demolition and environmental remediation field during which his company has brought down more than 8,000 structures across the nation, Bodami said he still gets excited watching the implosions. Bringing down the 260-foot-tall stack at the Lakeland Electric plant will be especially memorable, he said. He said this is Total Wrecking's most ambitious industrial demolition projects to date.

"Because Total Wrecking & Environmental is conducting this project at an operational power facility, it is unprecedented in scope and complexity, requiring a tremendous number of resources, specialized crew members and surgical planning to ensure the demolition is performed safely and on time," he said.

This won't be Bodami's first power plant demolition, however.

To date, the company has imploded power plants, oil and refineries, chemical plants, paper and pulp mills, food processing companies, pharmaceutical plants, steel and automotive manufacturing facilities, hospitals, office buildings, hotels and sports facilities.

But Bodami said it's particularly thrilling to bring down an old, outdated power plant to make way for a new, environmentally friendly one.

“Total Wrecking & Environmental is thrilled to clear and restore a critical area within the Lakeland McIntosh Power Plant for a newer energy facility,” Bodami said. “We’re excited to apply our unparalleled demolition expertise and clear the way for Lakeland Electric’s new gas-fired reciprocating internal combustion engine power plant.”

This won't be Bodami's last visit to Lakeland. He will return in March to direct Total Wrecking & Environmental's second controlled implosion of the coal-fired hung boiler units that served as the nucleus of the coal-powered plant.

In the meantime, the city-power company is fast-tracking the installation of the new energy-efficient reciprocating internal combustion engine supplied by MAN Energy Solutions.

Wayne Jones of MAN Energy Solutions said the new engine is 50 percent more efficient and will put Lakeland Electric on track to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 67 percent.

“It perfectly matches Lakeland Electric’s stated commitment to safely provide its customers with affordable, highly dependable and sustainable electric services,” Jones said.

In December 2020, Lakeland Electric announced plans to phase out Unit 3 of its coal-fired plant, which was becoming less reliable and increasingly more expensive to operate.

As part of its NextGen plan, Lakeland Electric plans to add five natural gas-fired internal combustion engines and increase its solar power and battery storage capacity by 2024.

The new $155 million natural gas generators will be more efficient and better able to manage the capacity fluctuations of solar power, Jones said.

City officials broke ground on the new power natural gas plan in August and it is slated to come online by the end of 2023.

Lakeland Electric General Manager Mike Beckham said similar projects are taking place around the country.

“We’re shutting down dispatchable fossil fuel units all over the country," he said. "We’re moving to renewable. This will ensure that our customers will have dependable, affordable, sustainable power."

Lakeland Electric currently has three power plants — McIntosh Unit 5, McIntosh Turbine 2 and the Larsen Power Plant — that run on natural gas. The Winston Power Plant runs on diesel fuel.

The third-largest public power utility in Florida, Lakeland Electric was purchased by the city in 1904. It now serves 131,000 customers.

To meet exclusion zone requirements, Lakeland will close East Lake Parker Drive for about two hours Saturday morning. The Lakeland Police Department will block or redirect traffic from 6:30 to 8:05 a.m. or until the “all clear” has been given.