*** According to their web site they are the fossil-fueled electric generating plant in the state.***
Quite a few things could explode in a coal fired plant. Coal dust, tripped coal pulverizer, loss of sealing oil for the hydrogen in the turbine, loss of combustion air, ect.
“loss of sealing oil for the hydrogen in the turbine”
is H2 used for cooling, & if so, why not air, because H2 has a higher heat capacity?
The plant burns natural gas along with low-sulfur DF2, the same fuel oil in trucks; doesn’t seem to be a lump of coal onsite.
The plant was to be natural gas, and coal is much less likely to cause big explosions than natural gas is. As a nation, we really need to get back to coal for more of our power needs.
Dainty CT banned coal as a fuel over 10 years ago. This appears to be a natural gas explosion.
Transformers, switch gears, relays