Explosion in Connecticut Power Plant

On Feb. 7, an accident happened in a power plant in Middletown, Connecticut making 5 workers dead and 12 other injured.

 

The power plant, or natural gas-fired power plant, was built by Kleen Energy Systems LP in Middletown. About 200 people worked on the project. According to Middletown’s mayor Sebastian Giuliano, the accident caused an explosion and fire which led to the 5 deaths and 12 injuries for their workers. At a press conference broadcast on the Hartford Courant’s Web site, Mr. Giuliano said that the number of workers at the site at the time explosion happened was unknown. However, the majority workers were not injured.

 

According to Commissioner Bill Gregory from Fire Department, the blast happened at around 11:30 a.m. The explosion also affected nearby homes.

 

The Kleen Energy Connecticut power plant is located in the southern part of the city running along the Connecticut River. It is about 26 kilometers from Hartford to the South. The plant is a 620-megawatt facility being built to feed electricity to Northeast Utilities’ Connecticut Light & Power under a 15-year power purchase agreement.

 

Mayor Sebastian described the explosion as a sonic boom when he heard its sound.

 

Right after the explosion, authorities have taken necessary things to immediately solve the blast. State’s Homeland Security Department has been providing tents at the scene for shelter and triage. City mayor said in his statement that an emergency assistance center has been set up in the town.

 

Energy Investors Fund Group is the major owner of Kleen Energy Systems. The group has invested in more than 100 power plants in 30 states with the total fund of 4 billion dollars. The company has representative branches in New York, Boston and San Francisco.

 

In a statement through email, spokesman for the company Alex J. Stockham said that the group would like to send their sympathy and express concern for unlucky workers at the plant and their families. The company has been working with local authorities to deal with the explosion.

 

Kleen Energy is one of O&G Industries projects. This company’s headquarter is in Torrington, Connecticut.

 

According to Fitch Ratings, Houston-based Spectra Energy Corp.’s Algonquin Gas Transmission Co. and Siemens Power Generation are respectively gas supplier and turbine manufacturer for the Kleen Energy Connecticut power plant.

 

Jeran Wittenstein and Christopher Martin are reporters of the Bloomberg. They often write news on various fields.

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