Saying Goodbye to Beesleys Point Power Plant Tower – Drone Video
The days of the Beesleys Point smoke stack are starting to dwindle.
The former B.L. England Generating Station is currently going through demolition with crews working daily on getting the land cleared.
The Generating Station, also known as Beesley’s Point Generating Station, situated in Upper Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, held a prominent position in the region’s energy landscape. The power plant boasted three generating units, with a total capacity of approximately 450 megawatts.
Saying Goodbye to Beesleys Point Power Plant Tower – Drone Video
Two of these units relied on coal, supplemented by up to 7 percent of Tire-derived fuel, while the third unit burned bunker C oil. Notably, the facility’s distinctive smokestack, resembling a lighthouse, housed a sulfur dioxide scrubber that converted emissions into gypsum, a marketable byproduct.
Visible from the Great Egg Harbor Bridge on the Garden State Parkway, the B.L. England Generating Station often drew mistaken comparisons to the nearby Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, known for its hyperboloid cooling tower designed to minimize thermal pollution in Great Egg Harbor Bay.
Also See: North Shore Bar & Kitchen Postpones Opening Date
The plant’s history dates 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, and increasing its capacity to 450 megawatts. In 1987, the iconic smokestack was installed, crafted to resemble a lighthouse.
The B.L. England Generating Station encountered environmental challenges, prompting regulatory actions.
In 2006, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an administrative consent order, requiring the plant to comply with the Clean Air Act.
Subsequently, RC Cape May Holdings acquired the facility in 2007 and embarked on a path toward cleaner energy production.
A proposed conversion to natural gas emerged in 2013, spearheaded by South Jersey Gas (SJG). However, the plan faced opposition and legal battles, leading to its eventual abandonment in 2019.
The closure of the B.L. England Generating Station had economic implications for Upper Township, which had received annual payments of $6 million as a host community. By May 1, 2019, the plan began its period of decommissioning
In November 2021, the land was purchased by “Beesleys Point Development LLC,” who announce they would take the land and create a marina with shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a boardwalk.
Also See: FIRST LOOK at Showboat’s Island Waterpark in Atlantic City
In order to get the property ready, the LLC would have to spend $13 million to remove all the structures including the cooling tower, boiler units, and smoke stack.
At this time, the only remaining part of the plant is its 400+ foot tall smoke stack, which crews say will be coming down soon.
The official date on when the demolition will take place, will be on Thursday October 26th at 10AM.
We decided to take the Seagull into the sky to bring you a bird’s point of view before it’s demolished.
Before you watch the video, please consider subscribing as we are trying to hit 100,000 subscribers by Labor Day.