Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received a full-turnkey order for a project to build a 1,600 megawatt (MW) gas turbine combined-cycle (GTCC) power generation plant from Gulf JP NS Company, Limited (GNS) in Thailand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf JP Company Limited which is 90% owned by a local subsidiary of Electric Power Development Co., Ltd (J-POWER) of Japan and 10% owned by Gulf Holding Company Limited, a major local power development company.
The plant, which GNS is to build and operate in Nong Saeng district, Saraburi Province, will consist of two 800MW power generation plant trains. The large-scale power plant construction project is aimed at responding to increasing power demand in the country associated with its robust economic growth. The two units are slated to go on-stream in June and December 2014, respectively.
GNS is building the Nong Saeng GTCC power plant based on the Thai government’s electric power development plan. GNS has already signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), under which GNS will supply electricity generated at the plant to EGAT for 25 years.
The GTCC plant will primarily consist of four M701F gas turbines, two steam turbines and six generators. MHI will manufacture the gas turbines at its Takasago Machinery Works and the steam turbines at its Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works. The generators will be manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Civil construction work and installation at the plant site will be handled by Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Public Company, Ltd., a local construction firm.
In GTCC plants, a gas turbine and steam turbine are used in combination to generate electricity in two stages, utilizing high-temperature exhaust gas from the gas turbine to produce steam to drive the steam turbine. This configuration enables GTCC plants to achieve higher thermal efficiency, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and results in lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) relative to electricity generation, thereby contributing to environmental protection. Global demand for GTCC power generation plants has been rising in view of their efficient use of fossil fuels and reduced burden on the environment.
MHI has delivered many GTCC power generation systems in Japan and other countries to date, and the company enjoys a solid reputation in the power generation system market both for its technological expertise and delivery track record. Adding the momentum from the latest order, going forward MHI now looks to further strengthen its aggressive marketing activities for its GTCC power generation systems.
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LNG World News Staff, December 13, 2011