The Power Systems Development Facility (PSDF) was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame at a ceremony Saturday in Montgomery. The Hall of Fame honors individuals, projects and corporations with outstanding accomplishments in the field of engineering who have significantly contributed to the betterment of their communities.

Power Systems Development Facility

“This award is a tribute to the dedication and engineering excellence of the many Southern Company employees that have worked at the PSDF over the years,” said Kerry Bowers, director of the facility. “Through their collective contributions, new technology solutions for coal-based power generation are becoming a reality.”

Established in 1995, the PSDF leads the U.S. efforts to develop coal-based-power-plant technologies that are cleaner, less expensive and more environmentally acceptable.

Located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the facility is co-funded by the United States Department of Energy, Southern Company and other industrial organizations.

As a pre-commercial-scale R&D and testing facility, the PSDF evaluates emerging coal-based power technologies and components. An important feature of the PSDF is that it is designed at a size large enough to provide meaningful data under real operating conditions for commercial power plant use. This allows components to be integrated into a complete functioning system, so that the interactions can be observed – this advantage can’t be done in individual component development programs.

The PSDF has consistently produced innovations by testing advanced coal-based electric power technologies, including: gasification, combustion and syngas cleanup processes.

The PSDF is the host of the National Carbon Capture Center, engaged in working with technology companies worldwide to accelerate the development of affordable CO2 capture technologies.

By advancing engineering innovation, the PSDF has provided new paths for our nation’s energy future.