Unit 2 of Lakeland Electric’s decommissioned McIntosh power plant came tumbling down at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday. Crews set up at the site along Lake Parker had to wait for an afternoon storm to pass, but were able to bring down the structure without incident.
Lakeland Electric spokeswoman Cathryn Lacy said the demolition, originally set for Friday, was moved ahead of schedule. Unlike previous demolitions that involved explosives, Unit 2 was “pulled over with cables into a cleared space on the property.”
Traffic did not have to be rerouted for this phase. “It is happening within the footprint of the power plant,” Lacy said.
McIntosh 3, the utility’s last coal-fired plant, was shut down in 2021 after repairs at the site became costly and Lakeland Electric sought to rid its coal reserves.
The city engaged Total Wrecking & Environmental to demolish McIntosh units 1, 2 and 3 and then sell parts and scrap metal. The city of Lakeland expects to net $1.2 million from its share of the sales.
After the toppling of Unit 2, two more milestones of demolition will remain — removal of the coal conveyor, which crosses over East Lake Parker Drive, and elimination of the water tower.
The conveyor is tentatively scheduled to come down on July 15, Lacy said.
The removal project is making way for a reciprocal engine natural-gas plant that represents Lakeland Electric’s next generation of power generation.