Beesleys Point Power Plant Smokestack Demolition Announced

Beesleys Point Power Plant Smokestack Demolition Announced

The iconic Beesleys Point smokestack is going to be falling into the history books very shortly.

The former B.L. England Generating Station is currently undergoing demolition, with daily efforts to clear the land in progress.

This power station, also known as Beesley’s Point Generating Station, located in Upper Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, once held a prominent position in the regional energy landscape. The facility featured three generating units with a combined capacity of around 450 megawatts.

Two of these units primarily used coal, with a minor supplementation of up to 7 percent from Tire-derived fuel, while the third unit operated on bunker C oil. Notably, the facility’s distinctive smokestack, resembling a lighthouse, housed a sulfur dioxide scrubber that transformed emissions into gypsum, a marketable byproduct.

Easily visible from the Great Egg Harbor Bridge on the Garden State Parkway, the B.L. England Generating Station was often mistakenly compared to the nearby Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, known for its hyperboloid cooling tower designed to minimize thermal pollution in Great Egg Harbor Bay.

The plant’s history traces back to the early 1960s when it initially housed four diesel-electric generators. Over time, Atlantic City Electric expanded the facility, adding coal-powered units and a cooling tower, ultimately increasing its capacity to 450 megawatts. In 1987, the iconic smokestack, designed to resemble a lighthouse, was installed.

However, the B.L. England Generating Station faced environmental challenges that prompted regulatory actions.

In 2006, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an administrative consent order, mandating compliance with the Clean Air Act. Subsequently, RC Cape May Holdings acquired the facility in 2007, embarking on a path toward cleaner energy production.

A proposal to convert the plant to natural gas emerged in 2013, led by South Jersey Gas (SJG). However, the plan encountered opposition and legal battles, ultimately leading to its abandonment in 2019.

The closure of the B.L. England Generating Station had significant economic implications for Upper Township, which had been receiving annual payments of $6 million as a host community. By May 1, 2019, the decommissioning process had begun.

In November 2021, the land was acquired by “Beesleys Point Development LLC,” which announced plans to transform the property into a marina featuring shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a boardwalk.

To prepare the property, the LLC is investing $13 million in the removal of all structures, including the cooling tower, boiler units, and the smokestack.

As of now, the only remaining part of the plant is its towering smokestack, standing at over 400 feet in height.

The Wildwood Video Archive visited the construction site in June to capture the final images of the tower before its imminent demolition.

At that time, there were rumors of a demolition in August, but now an official date has been set for Thursday, October 26th at 10AM.

The Wildwood Video Archive plans to be present to capture the implosion but until then, watch our tour video of the B.L. England smokestack, and please consider subscribing.

 

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