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Siemens hands over T-Power combined cycle power plant in Belgium

Siemens Energy has handed over the T-Power combined cycle power plant in Belgium to the purchaser T-Power N.V., in which International Power plc, Siemens Project Ventures GmbH and Tessenderlo Chemie N.V. each hold a 33 percent stake. The plant started commercial operation already on June...

Siemens hands over T-Power combined cycle power plant in Belgium

Munich, Germany, 2011-Sep-22

Siemens Energy has handed over the T-Power combined cycle power plant in Belgium to T-Power N.V., in which International Power plc, Siemens Project Ventures GmbH and Tessenderlo Chemie N.V. each hold a 33 percent stake. The plant started commercial operation already on June 15 of this year. T-Power is a Siemens-designed high-efficiency gas-fired combined cycle power plant, which will produce approximately 430 megawatts (MW) at more than 58% efficiency in strict compliance with the latest environmental regulations. Thanks to Siemens' ultra-modern burner technology, nitrogen oxide emissions are far below statutory requirements. The new plant also features high online versatility, short startup times and fast load cycling – properties that are becoming more and more important against the background of increasing shares of fluctuating wind power in the grid. The power plant will supply a part of the power generated for the energy-intensive production processes at the neighboring chemicals plant, with the resting part being fed into the grid. In total, with 430 MW the power plant will be capable of supplying more than 240,000 households in Belgium with ecofriendly electricity

Siemens Energy erected the plant as a turnkey solution and supplied all the major components – an SGT5-4000F gas turbine, an SST5-3000 steam turbine, and a hydrogen-cooled SGen-2000H generator. All commissioning works were successfully completed according to schedule in mid-2011, with higher capacity and efficiency rates than anticipated. The new plant is slated to meet intermediate and peak load demand. T-Power has also signed a 14-year maintenance agreement with Siemens for the gas turbine.

"Because of their low carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions combined cycle power plants are currently the most environmentally compatible fossil-fueled generating stations, which because of their flexibility can be utilized very well as compensation for renewables" said Lothar Balling, head of GT Power Plant Solutions within the Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens Energy. With an efficiency of more than 58 percent this plant is one of Europe's most efficient and modern power stations in operation."

Tessenderlo Chemie also overhauled its entire high-voltage network. This work had been commissioned by Siemens Energy Belgium, as head of a consortium with CG Holdings (formerly Pauwels International) and Fabricom. Siemens took care of a new gas-insulated 150-kV distribution station to which the new plant is connected, a new 26-kV distribution station and the upgrade of a second station, as well as the associated protection panels and supervision systems. The consortium was also responsible for the associated study, installation, commissioning and civil works.

The foundation for this first ever large-scale Belgium IPP (Independent Power Producer) project was laid by a joint venture of three companies, namely Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Tessenderlo Chemie N.V. and Advanced Power AG, followed by careful planning and involvement of major players such as Siemens Energy. The project was positively received in the political arena, also in light of expected power shortages in Belgium, and the joint venture subsequently received the first ever private power generation license. Together with its partners, Tessenderlo Chemie and International Power, Siemens Project Ventures structured the project and lead it to financial close involving a pool of ten banks. The total project volume amounts to 440 million Euro, structured in 85% senior debt and 15% equity. Siemens Financial Services' excellent relation with the banks and Siemens Energy's proven efficiency in clean power plant technology facilitated a tight timeframe with no bank withdrawing from the deal, demonstrating the high level of confidence in the project against the backdrop of the concurrent financial crisis.

High-efficiency combined cycle power plants are part of Siemens' Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2010, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about EUR28 billion, making Siemens the world's largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, our products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 270 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of the megacities Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore.?


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