Alabama Power’s newest generator at Plant Barry in Mobile County is now running at full strength. Unit 8, known as Barry 8, became fully operational on Nov. 1 after clearing its final round of testing.
A big addition to the grid
The unit pairs a natural gas turbine with a steam turbine in a combined-cycle arrangement, capturing exhaust heat to make additional electricity from the same fuel. Barry 8 can generate up to 727 megawatts — enough electricity to serve more than 200,000 homes, according to Beth Thomas of Alabama Power’s Mobile Division.
“Barry 8 uses the most advanced and efficient technology available to generate electricity from natural gas,” said Brandon Dillard, Alabama Power’s senior vice president and senior production officer.
From approval to full operation
Construction began in 2021 after state regulators approved the project, moving forward despite pandemic-related disruptions and supply chain delays that slowed work across the industry. The build required roughly 2 million work hours, according to the utility, which also expects the new unit to contribute about $4 million a year in property taxes that support local schools, roads and services.
With Barry 8 online, the total generating capacity at the Plant Barry site now stands at 3,246 megawatts. The plant sits along the Mobile River near Bucks and Axis, a location that has made it a fixture of the region’s industrial corridor for decades.
Dillard called the milestone an important step in planning for customers’ needs for generations to come.