Turtle Creek Station

With site progress at about 82%, construction activities are ramping up ahead of commissioning as the generation facility is scheduled to go online later this year. As the crews works diligently to meet this deadline, shifts will continue into the night at times as we approach operation. Night shifts are expected to have smaller crews and will adhere to all permits and ordinances necessary.

OPPD announced plans to add a total of four combustion turbines capable of producing 225 MW each – three at OPPD’s Cass County plant and one at Turtle Creek Station. The new units are expected be online by 2030. For more information, please see this story in The Wire.

Siemens was selected to manufacture the units, and the units will be the same as the combustion turbines at Turtle Creek Station today.

TCS Aerial January 2024 – Facing Southeast

Turtle Creek Station’s substation has been completed and energized in November.

For the generation part of the site, all the major equipment is on site, construction activities continue, and the site is preparing for commissioning in the coming months. During the commissioning process, OPPD works with its construction contractors and turbine manufacturers to ensure all systems are working properly and the facilities are ready to produce energy.

The lighting and paving work is underway, along with beautification and other cosmetic work. Also coming in 2024 will be site landscaping work.

Turtle Creek Station is scheduled to come online late this summer, for more highlights of recent progress, please see this story in The Wire.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 1, and again on Sunday, Oct 8, specialized large-equipment movers on behalf of Omaha Public Power District will move two Generator Step-up (GSU) Transformers to the Turtle Creek Station site at 168th & Fairview Rd. in Sarpy County.

A GSU transformer is designed to step-up generator output to a higher voltage that’s ready to connect to the transmission network.

Just one of these transformers, loaded on a trailer, weighs about 437,500 pounds. Together, the truck and trailer set-up measures 311-feet long and weighs 879,200 pounds. The transformer equipment arrives to our area by rail before being loaded on a trailer for the final leg of its journey to the new plant.

The work to move the units to Turtle Creek Station is scheduled at night to ensure minimal traffic disruption, as brief road closures may be needed. OPPD and our contracted large-equipment movers have coordinated with city, county, and state officials, as well as members of law enforcement, to ensure the safety of the public and workers along the route.

If members of the public come across this move, we ask that they refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles and stay far back from the work taking place so that we can complete it safely.

Above ground construction at Turtle Creek Station is well underway. Overall assembly of units 1 & 2 combustion turbines and respective stack formation are making visual progress. Additionally, the power distribution center has been set. The substation is now nearing final stages of construction.

Facing Southwest, Aerial View, June 2023

A lot of construction progress has been happening on site the last few months as seen in this aerial photo. Recent focus has been on major equipment assembly and the administrative building.

Major transmission work is complete, which will connect Turtle Creek Station to the electric grid. Additional transmission work will take place in the fall to coordinate energization.

Facing North – Construction Progress as of April 2023

Construction progresses during the winter months for the substation at Turtle Creek Station with concrete duct bank pours, ground grid installation, and steel support erection underway.

The administration building walls are going up with framing activities subsequently following.

In the generation or power block area, both sets of Siemens Energy gas turbines and generators were placed on their foundation last month.

Facing North - Substation Construction Progress

Beginning Sunday, Dec. 11, OPPD will begin one of two late night moves, moving its second simple-cycle combustion turbine and generator from Siemens Energy, as well as related equipment, to the Turtle Creek Station (TCS) site. The second move will occur Dec. 28.

This heavy haul move is similar to the moves that happened earlier this fall. As with the previous moves, the work to move the units to Turtle Creek Station is scheduled at night to cause minimal traffic disruption, as brief road closures may be needed. OPPD and our contracted large equipment movers have coordinated with city, county and state officials, as well as members of law enforcement, to ensure the safety of the public and workers along the route.

If members of the public come across this move, we ask that they refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles and stay far back from the work taking place so that we can complete it safely.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 30, OPPD will begin moving a generator and turbine to the Turtle Creek Station (TCS) site. This type of move will happen once more on dates yet to be determined in December.

The late night moves involve two simple-cycle combustion turbines and two generators from Siemens Energy, as well as related equipment. This technology converts natural gas into energy to drive a generator, which powers electricity. One of the turbines loaded on a trailer weighs about 862,000 pounds. Together, the truck and trailer set-up is 196-feet long.

In mid-October, one turbine and one generator arrived by rail to a local rail spur location. The work to move the units to Turtle Creek Station is scheduled at night to cause minimal traffic disruption, as brief road closures may be needed. OPPD and our contracted large equipment movers have coordinated with city, county and state officials, as well as members of law enforcement, to ensure the safety of the public and workers along the route.

If members of the public come across this move, we ask that they refrain from approaching employees, contractors or vehicles and stay far back from the work taking place so that we can complete it safely.

An additional turbine and generator are scheduled to arrive in December, at which point, we will commence another heavy move to TCS.

OPPD's vendor, Zachry Group, continues to prepare laydown and storage areas for equipment, materials, and supplies in anticipation of approaching construction work.

Preliminary grading is winding down and foundation work has begun in preparation for the new facility.

This summer, construction activities will include work on gas and transmission infrastructure, although major equipment isn’t expected to arrive until late summer or early fall.