Since its inception, Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) has always strived to be one of the most environmentally-friendly utilities in the Midwest and has employed extensive emissions reduction technologies from the time of its first power plants in the 1930s to today. Most recently, a $600 million, 10-year multi-pollutant reduction initiative validates that IPL is dedicated to generating power with the least possible impact on the environment.

One recent program that showcases IPL's dedication to the environment is the switch of the Petersburg, Ind. facility to wet scrubber technology. The chimney serves Unit #3 at the Petersburg Power Station, which has a generating capacity of 500-megawatts. In 2006, Pullman Power LLC was hired to handle the retrofit during a scheduled outage. The project involved wall-papering the top 385 feet of the existing liner with alloy C276 plate. The next phase involved demolition of the lower 136 feet of the existing liner, which was then replaced with alloy C276 clad plate. New support beams also were added at the 323 foot elevation to accommodate the changed liner configuration and operating conditions. Additional platforms and platform modifications also were included as part of the project. 

Because this retrofit occurred during a scheduled outage, and access to the chimney was limited because of the existing operations at the plant, pre-planning was essential to meet the 14-week schedule.