Recent Aerial Photos of NGS and a Look Back at the Beginning

/ Mike Adams / 3 Comments

Two different people provided me with two different aerial photos taken recently of the Navajo Generating Station plant site. You know who you are, and thank you for getting these to me! Both of these photos show the current state of the NGS site as of July, 2022. There’s not much left there.

As an extra bonus I also show you an early aerial photo of the construction of the plant from 1970-ish. So this video gives you two ends of the spectrum: the demolition of NGS and the building of NGS. One of these is not like the other.

Enjoy!

Navajo Generating Station Basement Tour

/ Mike Adams / 3 Comments

This video was sent to me recently. It’s a tour of the NGS basement with the unit on-line. It captures the sights and sounds of the basement area. Among other things, you’ll see and hear the Bowl Mills, Boiler Feed Pumps/Aux Turbines, and Boiler Feed Booster Pumps. This brought back a lot of memories! For those familiar with it, this basement tour will do the same for you.

Aerial Flyby of Navajo Generating Station in the Not-Too-Distant Past

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

This undated flyby of NGS is great! Still making megawatts when this happened. The helicopter rotor sound is an added bonus.
Source: Salt River Project, public download.

An Aerial View of the NGS Stack Demolition

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

These photos show the December 18, 2020 stack demolition from an aerial vantage point. This images are the copyright property of John Dillon Photography and are used here by permission. You can see more by visiting John Dillon Photography on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/grandcanyonman/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/grandcanyonman/. Thank you John for allowing me to use these!

The NGS Unit 3 Steam Lead Failure: My Interview with Mark Avery

/ Mike Adams / 5 Comments

If you worked at Navajo Generating Station, you’ve probably heard the story and seen the pictures of the night the Unit 3 steam leads failed while the unit was online. But have you ever wondered what exactly happened and what it must have been like to be in the control room when those main steam lines blew off the Unit 3 high pressure turbine? If so, you’re going to like this interview because Mark Avery was the Unit 3 Control Room operator on shift the night the steam leads failed and you’re going to hear what that experience was like directly from Mark.

Here are the links to the pictures I show during this video. These images will open in a new tab in your browser.

-Enjoy!

NGS: The Stages of Demolition

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

Still Making Megawatts

This undated photo shows all 3 units of Navajo Generating Station online and making megawatts.

Stack Demolition

This view of the 12-18-2020 stack demolition was taken from the 500kV yard on the west side of the power block. The unit 3 precipitators came down as part of the stack implosion. Click to enlarge.

Units 1 and 2 Precipitators

Following the stack implosions, the units 1 and 2 precipitators were next to go. This image shows the units 1 and 2 precips moments before their demolition on 1-19-21. The unit 3 precips came down with the stack implosions on 12-18-2020 and can be seen on the left side of the picture. click to enlarge.

The Stackless Version

I took this picture on March 2nd, 2021, the day before the boiler demolitions. The stacks and precipitators are already gone. The stacks and the unit 3 precips came down on 12-18-20. The units 1 and 2 precips came down on 1-19-2021.

Boiler Demolition

This still image was taken from my video of the boiler demolition on 3-3-21 and shows the units 1-3 (right to left) boilers coming down, along with the unit 3 elevator.

Boiler Demolition Aftermath

After the boiler demolition, this cloud formed over the NGS plant site due to the coal fire that resulted from the demolition. The coal silos for all 3 units were part of the demolition that day and a pretty significant fire ensued but it looked like it was quickly contained. Click image to enlarge.

Turbine Deck and Power Block

I took this in the late afternoon of March 3rd, 2021, the day the boilers came down. It was still hazy from the smoke earlier. Click image to enlarge and you can see a U3 silo and part of the boiler laying on their sides and a couple of the U3 steam leads sticking up in the air.

NGS Stacks From the 500 Yard

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

Here’s a still from 12-18-2020 of the stack implosion as seen from the west side in the 500 kV yard. Of course the boilers and precipitators are gone now as well. Click to enlarge.

Navajo Generating Station, December 18, 2020

NGS Lake Pump Drilling

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

These photos capture some of the drilling activity at the lake pump station. The first image shows the early stages of the site. The second image shows the drilling rig and the third image is one of the drill bit used to bore through the sandstone. Click on an image to enlarge it.

  • Lake Pump Site
  • Drilling in Progress
  • Drill Bit Used

NGS Unit One From The Lake Pump Road

/ Mike Adams / Leave a comment

This picture was taken from near the lake pump road (the road to Antelope Point) and is the nice view of the early construction of Navajo Generating Station. Click the image to enlarge.

NGS Original Stacks

/ Mike Adams / 1 Comment

This aerial view of the original stacks shows the unit 3 stack still under construction. Unit 1 is on line. The train is in the loop. Click the image to enlarge it.