Ameren Missouri upgrades line serving SEMO Port to support reliability for customers
The line relocation project is part of Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan to replace and upgrade aging infrastructure to better serve customers
Located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Scott City, Missouri, the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority is bustling this time of year with rail, river and road traffic moving commodities and goods to end users all over the country. To keep business booming, customers located at the port depend on Ameren Missouri to deliver safe and reliable power.
Earlier this month, Ameren Missouri crews relocated a 34.5 kV power line from a nearby rock bluff along the river to the accessible roadway leading to the port to better serve current customers and accommodate future expansion. Crews also installed 20 new wooden and composite poles, which are made of stronger materials, to rebuild the line. They also installed a new type of wire, called T-2 conductor wire, that is specially made to withstand high winds and reduce ice buildup that can take down power lines.
Ameren Missouri crews work to install T-2 conductor wire designed to withstand high winds during storms.
"The Smart Energy Plan investments we're making in the communities we serve are crucial to ensuring our customers have safe and reliable energy," said Russ Burger, southeast division director for Ameren Missouri. "This project is a great example of how we're making meaningful investments in our system to not only support reliable service for customers today, but to make sure the infrastructure is in place to serve new industrial customers looking to grow their business at the port."
The upgraded power line connects the Viaduct substation along I-55 to the SEMO Port substation and increases interconnection capacity for greater resiliency during extreme weather events. Additional Ameren Missouri crews were on hand to see the installation process as the company seeks to deploy the T-2 wire throughout its service territory.
"Our tenants depend on Ameren Missouri to supply them with reliable power," said Cary Harbison, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority. "This line relocation project helps ensure the businesses located here have reliable service 24/7. We appreciate Ameren Missouri investing in projects like this to ensure current customers have reliable service. It also helps us attract prospective businesses looking to locate to the area."
The project near the port will be complete by early December. To learn more about Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan, visit AmerenMissouri.com/SmartEnergyPlan.