Covington Facility
Covington Facility is a biomass and waste plant in Alleghany County, Virginia, operated by WestRock Corp. Among the 584 biomass and waste plants in the country it is the second-largest. It is the biggest of Virginia’s 24 biomass and waste plants. Its oldest working unit dates from 1951, earlier than at any other biomass and waste plant in Virginia. Four units here can switch between natural gas and oil.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
161 MW
156 MW net summer capacity
4 operable units
- Wood and wood waste116 MW72%
- Coal steam44.5 MW28%
Unit by unit, 1930 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredbar height follows unit size
Unit GEN6 Wood and wood waste, 5.5 MW, 1930–2009
Unit GEN1 Coal steam, 10.5 MW, 1939–2013
Unit GEN2 Coal steam, 10.5 MW, 1946–2013
Unit GEN3 Coal steam, 10.5 MW, 1951
Unit GEN4 Wood and wood waste, 34 MW, 1980
Unit GEN5 Coal steam, 34 MW, 1989
Unit GEN7 Wood and wood waste, 82.4 MW, 2013
Among Virginia’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Bath County2,862 MW
- 2North Anna1,960 MW
- 3Greensville County Power Station1,773 MW
- 30Skipjack Solar Center175 MW
- 31Highlander Solar Energy Station 1165 MW
- 32Covington Facilitythis plant
- 33Cavalier Solar156 MW
- 34Carvers Creek Solar154 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 1897th of 14,286
- Power plants in Virginia
- 32nd of 258
- Plants in the PJM Interconnection balancing area
- 246th of 2,049
- Biggest single unit, among Virginia’s plants
- 45th of 258
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN3 | Coal steam | 10.5 MW | 10.5 MW | 1951 | Operating |
| GEN4 | Wood and wood waste | 34 MW | 32.5 MW | 1980 | Operating |
| GEN5 | Coal steam | 34 MW | 32.5 MW | 1989 | Operating |
| GEN7 | Wood and wood waste | 82.4 MW | 81 MW | 2013 | Operating |
Retired units
Retired capacity here totals 26.5 MW, mostly coal units.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEN6 | Wood and wood waste | 5.5 MW | 1930–2009 |
| GEN1 | Coal steam | 10.5 MW | 1939–2013 |
| GEN2 | Coal steam | 10.5 MW | 1946–2013 |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- PJM Interconnection
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 138 kV
- Water source
- Jackson River
- Nearest town on record
- Covington
- Operator type
- Industrial (cogeneration)
- Coordinates
- 37.800°N, 79.995°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Moor | Oil and petroleum | 82.8 MW | 5.8 mi east |
| HCE Millboro Springs Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 27.0 mi northeast |
| Bath County | Pumped-storage hydro | 2,862 MW | 30.2 mi north |
| Small Mouth Bass Solar | Solar | 2.5 MW | 33.1 mi east |
| Fairfield Lee Solar, LLC Community Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 33.1 mi east |
| Beech Ridge Energy LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 33.6 mi northwest |
| Beech Ridge Energy Storage | Battery storage | 31.5 MW | 33.6 mi northwest |
| Salem Electric Department | Oil and petroleum | 1.3 MW | 35.5 mi south |