Bandirma II Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant, Turkey

Enerjisa Power Generation, a joint venture of Sabanci Holding and E.ON, is developing the Bandirma II natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant in the Balikesir province of Turkey.

The power plant is being erected alongside the existing 930MW Bandirma power plant, the biggest natural gas power plant in Turkey.

The 600MW power project is being built with an estimated investment of $900m and is scheduled for commissioning in 2016. It is expected to operate at an efficiency rate of more than 60%.

The project is expected to create more than 1,000 construction jobs and an additional 40 jobs when operational.

Bandirma-I CCPP details

Enerjisa began commercial operations at its Bandirma-I combined cycle power plant (CCPP) in 2010. With a net efficiency of more than 59%, it is Turkey's most efficient gas power plant and boasts an annual power generation capacity of more than 7,000 gigawatt hours (GWh).

The €550m ($699m) Bandirma-I CCPP took 26 months to complete.

Bandirma II combined cycle power plant make-up

The Bandirma II CCPP is being developed on the southern coast of the sea of Marmara near the Bandirma city in Balikesir province, and covers a total area of more than 85,000m2.

Bandirma II will be a single shaft design combined cycle power plant comprising of a SGT5-8000H gas turbine, a SST5-5000 steam turbine and a SGen5-3000W water cooled generator from Siemens. The plant can increase to full power generation in just 30 minutes.

The Siemens SGT5-8000H gas turbine, with gross power output of 400MW, generates more than 570MW in combined cycle operations. The high-performance four stage gas turbine is equipped with fast acting variable guide vanes to achieve faster cycling capability. It uses Siemens hydraulic clearance optimisation (HCO) active turbine clearance control system to offset engine performance losses.

The SST5-5000 steam turbine, featuring a combined high-pressure/intermediate-pressure reverse flow cylinder and a double flow low-pressure cylinder, is designed to operate at a steam pressure of up to 190bar and steam temperature of up to 600°C. The turbine offers a power output ranging between 120MW to 500MW in combined cycle application.

The Bandirma II plant will use a dry type cooling system with a 135m high cooling tower.

Generation and transmission of power from Bandirma II power plant

The resulting hot gases from the combustion process will be dispatched to the waste heat boiler where steam will be generated. The hot and high-pressure steam will then be sent to turn the steam turbine, for second level electricity generation at the plant.Natural gas mixed with over pressurised gas will be burnt in the combustion chamber before passing through the gas turbine for first level electricity generation.

Steam released from the turbine will be condensed into water in a condenser using cooling water from the tower. Water accumulated at the bottom of the condenser will be sent back to the boilers for further heating.

The electricity generated by the project is planned to be transmitted either to the Balikesir provincial transformer station via an 85km long transmission line, or to Karabiga station via a 70km long transmission line.

Natural gas supply

Natural gas for the Bandirma II power plant will be supplied from the Turkey/Greece natural gas pipeline located near the project site.

Contractors involved with the Bandirma II power project development

Siemens was awarded the turnkey construction contract for the Bandirma II power plant in January 2013. The contractual scope includes the supply of turbines and generators. It also includes the entire electrical system, involving a 400kV high-voltage switchgear installation, and the SPPA-T3000 instrumentation and control system.

The Benson-type heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to be used at the power plant will be manufactured by NEM.

Kalemci Yapi was subcontracted by Siemens to conduct civil works, while Koza Insaat was engaged to perform earth works.

DOKAY-EIA Environmental Engineering was engaged to prepare the environmental impact assessment (EIA) application for the project.

Balkhash Thermal Power Plant, Kazakhstan

The 1,320MW Balkhash thermal power plant (TPP), consisting of two 660MW units, is being developed on the south-western bank of Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan. The plant is expected to produce approximately 9% of Kazakhstan's total power output.

Construction of the first module began in September 2012 and the two units are likely to come online in 2019. Together they are expected to generate approximately 9,209 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

Balkhash Thermal Power Plant Joint Stock Company (Balkhash TPP JSC) is the owner of the power plant, which is being developed at an estimated cost of $4.3bn under a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) method.

Balkhash coal-fired power project details

The coal-fired plant will be Kazakhstan's first independent power producer (IPP) project, using foreign capital project financing for the construction and operation.Balkhash is being developed as part of an intergovernmental agreement signed by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Korea. The agreement, signed in 2011, includes economic cooperation in the field of financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the power plant.

Coal will be supplied from the Ekibastuz coal basin. Advanced coal technologies and equipment such as a gas treatment installation will be used at the plant to comply with environmental regulations and the EU's emission standards.

Balkhash power plant design

Balkhash will use two Siemens SST5-6000 steam turbines of 660MW each. It is also designed for the cogeneration of heat and power to achieve high fuel efficiency.

The turbines will include a barrel-type high-pressure cylinder, an intermediate-pressure cylinder and up to three double flow low-pressure cylinders. The main stream is expected to have a temperature of up to 600°C and pressure level of up to 300bar.

In addition, the SGen-3000W series generator is equipped with water-cooled stator windings to optimise the output and hydrogen-cooled rotor windings to achieve a higher current capability.

Supply and transmission of power generated from Balkhash

Electric power for the thermal power plant will be provided by the 500kV Alma substation.

All electricity generated by the plant will be delivered to the grid through the Alma Electricity Transmission Project, which will include the construction of a 500kV overhead transmission line from Balkhash TPP to YuKGRES substation and the rehabilitation of the 500kV YuKGRES substation.

Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) will purchase the electricity as part of a capacity purchase agreement. This was signed by the KEGOC and Samsung C&T in June 2014 for the construction and operation of the Balkhash plant for a period of 20 years.

Ownership and financing of Balkhash TPP

Samsung C&T owns 75% of Balkhash TPP JSC, while Samruk Energy, the national energy corporation of Kazakhstan, holds the remaining 25%. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) will buy a significant share in the project upon request by Kazakhstan.

A consortium of Samsung C&T, KEPCO and Samruk Energy are providing equity finance for the project, while debt financing is coming from commercial banks and export credit agencies in Korea, China and Europe.

Contractors involved with the development of Balkhash

Siemens will supply steam turbine generator units, two SGen5-3000W generators, control systems and other auxiliary and ancillary systems.A joint venture of Samsung C&T and Samsung Engineering was awarded the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for the coal-fired power plant near Balkhash.

Meanwhile, Dongfang Electric Corporation will supply a supercritical boiler.

Black & Veatch has provided technical advisory services, while KEPCO will prepare the project feasibility report.

Herbert Smith Freehills provided advisory services to Samruk-Energy for the power plant.

Baguari Hydropower Plant, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The Baguari hydropower plant, which is located on the Doce River in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, was inaugurated in October 2009.

The plant has four turbine units. The first unit began operations in September 2009, 80 days ahead of schedule. The second and third unit began operations in November 2009 and March 2010, respectively, while the last unit became operational in April 2010.

The project supplies power to the Brazilian grid through four bulb-type generators.

The plant has an installed capacity of 140MW and a net capacity of 80.2MW / hr, sufficient to supply power to 450,000 people. Power is being distributed through the National Interconnected System.

The plant was developed by the UHE Baguari Consortium, which is composed of Neoenergia (51%), Cemig Generation and Transmission (34%) and Furnas (15%). The project required a $300m investment, of which 70% was financed by Brazil's National Bank of Economic and Social Development.

The project's reservoir covers an area of 16km² and includes the regions of Sobrália, Fernandes Tourinho and Alpercata on the right shore and Governador Valadares and Periquito on the left shore. It spreads 22km into Rio Doce.

Development of the Baguari plant

TechnologyThe Baguari plant is being developed by the Consorcio Construtor Baguari consortium, which is led by construction company Odebrecht and includes Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation and Engevix. Civil construction work is being handled by Odebrecht, while Voith Siemens Hydro has supplied turbines and will deal with the plant's EPC.

The plant's four power generating turbines, which cost $23m, operate at an individual capacity of 35MW. The turbines were designed to reduce the area of the plant's reservoir.

The bulb turbines have runner diameters of 5.1m and include generators, control valves, SCADA automation and excitation systems.

Transmission and distribution

The Baguari plant's transmission system includes the Baguari-Governador Valadares line and the Baguari Mesquita line. The company invested $13.5m for installing transmission infrastructure.

The consortium pre-sold 77MW / hr per year to 30 distributors before the official launch.The plant's transmission system includes the Baguari-Governador Valadares line and the Baguari Mesquita line. The company invested $13.5m for installing transmission infrastructure.

Baguari plant history

Baguari is the first hydro project under the national Program for the Acceleration of Growth (PAC). PAC was unveiled in 2007 and is intended to achieve a sustainable GDP of 5%. It involves the country investing R$500bn in infrastructure development, including roads, airports, ports, power projects, houses, water and sewage systems.

The Baguari project was approved by ANEEL, the Brazilian electricity regulatory agency, in 2002. The previous environmental licence (LP) was received in 2004 and power bidding began at the end of 2005. The installation licence for the project was granted in 2006 and construction began in May 2007.

Environmental impact

The environmental licence was awarded by the State Environmental Policy after the implementation of the Environmental Control Plan. The plan includes 38 programmes. The consortium is also building a fish ladder to facilitate transposition of the barrage.

During the construction period, the project created 3,400 jobs in the region. Residents of low-lying areas that were flooded because of the project were relocated to 70 new homes in Periquito, which were built by the company.The consortium developed a 34-acre reserve and 170ha of ecological corridors at the site.

Under the social and economic compensation programme, the company has started several infrastructure projects such as the construction of bridges, culverts, wells and a power distribution network.

Aghada 430MW Combined-Cycle Power Plant

Ireland's largest power station, Aghada 435MW Combined-Cycle Power Plant, was opened on 31 May 2010 after upgrading the existing four 430MW generating units. The plant's installed capacity has now increased to 963MW. The four units now generate 528MW. Construction began in October 2007.

Alstom built the 430MW combined-cycle power plant for ESB Power Generation at Aghada, Ireland. The plant uses Alstom’s GT26 gas turbine with a low-NOx Environmental (EV) burner.

This contract was the second GT26-based contract signed by ESB, following the Synergen plant at Ringsend (Dublin), which went into commercial operation in 2002. The new plant is part of ESB’s plan to renew its generation portfolio with a new more efficient plant.

There are 81 Alstom GT24/GT26 units in commercial operation worldwide and the fleet has accumulated more than 2.2 million firing hours.

The 50Hz GT26 can produce at 59% net efficiency, claimed as the best for a combined cycle plant in this class, and a significant step to 60% net plant efficiency with the existing engine.

Alstom provided all engineering, procurement and construction services for the plant, in Midleton, Co. Cork.

The turnkey order was valued at €275m,and financed by ESB Power Generation, a division of the Irish state-owned power producer Electricity Supply Board (ESB). After investing more than €75m, the project now costs €360m.

Intergrating operations

The plant uses a single KA26 single-shaft combined cycle unit and will integrate in-house core plant components built around Alstom’s GT26 gas turbine. It also has a compact reheat steam turbine and a hydrogen-cooled TOPGAS generator.

The new Alstom turbine optimises factors like availability, efficiency, power output and environmental emissions. The design uses sequential combustion and a robust, maintenance free, welded rotor design. It has a low-NOx EV burner, compact annular combustor and Egatrol GT controls.

Exhaust gas flow is 650kg/s and exhaust gas temperature is 616 °C. NOx emissions (corresponding to 15% O2, dry) are well below 25 vppm.The GT26 develops an electrical output of 288MW at an electrical efficiency of 38% and heat rate of 9,449kJ/kWh (all gross values). The turbine runs at 3000 rpm with a compressor pressure ratio of just under 34:1.

The GT24/GT26 gas turbines are optimized for combined cycle.

They burn natural gas as a primary fuel and fuel oil as backup. The Combustion System allows a wide range of natural gas compositions to burn with higher Wobbe index fluctuations than other turbines. The GT24/GT26 can also burn natural gases with large high-hydrocarbon content.

Variable guide vanes

With three rows of variable guide vanes on the compressor, the engine has an exceptional turn down ratio. Exhaust gas temperature is maintained at the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG), so part-load efficiencies are higher than usual for this class of engine. The combination of sequential combustion and the EV burner gives the engine low emissions across a wide load range.

The GT24/GT26 can operate in all three major modes: base load, intermediate duty and daily start/stop. The turbines can work in both single- and multi-shaft arrangements. Engines have also been successfully used in re-powering applications.

Exhaust temperatures tuned for combined-cycleThe reheat process in sequential combustion provides optimum exhaust temperatures for combined-cycle use, the main application of the GT26. The two individually controlled combustor chambers of the GT26 sustain high efficiency and low emissions at part load by manipulating the air flow by three variable guide vanes. The vanes help cut air mass flow to 60% of full load level while maintaining the exhaust temperature.

This ensures that the thermodynamic quality of the sequential combustion combined-cycle remains nearly constant, maintaining its high live steam temperatures. As a result, GT26 system efficiency at 50% load, for example, is around 12% better than a conventional gas turbine combined-cycle power plant. NOx emissions corresponding to 15% dry oxygen are below 25 vppm.

Agua Caliente Solar Project, Arizona, United States of America

Agua Caliente Solar farm is a 290MW photovoltaic (PV) power project located in the east Yuma County of Arizona, US. It is owned by NRG Energy and MidAmerican Energy Holdings and is currently the world's biggest photovoltaic solar power plant.

The $1.8bn solar project was originally initiated by NextLight Renewable Power, which was acquired by First Solar in 12 July 2010. In August 2011, NRG Energy acquired the project from First Solar. MidAmerican purchased a 49% stake in the project in January 2012.

Agua Caliente was named 'Project of the Year' by Excellence in Renewable Energy awards in February 2012.The solar farm generates enough electricity to serve around 225,000 average homes and will reduce 5.5 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Company purchases the entire power generated by the plant under a 25 year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Agua Caliente solar plant makeup

The Agua Caliente solar farm is built on a previously distributed agricultural land, 65 miles on the White Wing Ranch. It was selected after an extensive research on the availability of solar resources, proximity of existing Hassayampa-North Gila 500kV transmission line adjacent to the site and current land uses. The project needed minimal new transmission infrastructure because of its strategic location.

The plant is fitted with more than five million advanced thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV modules, which annually produce approximately 626.2GWh of clean energy.

The PV modules generate electricity without releasing any emissions, waste or water, with minimal noise and cause a low visual impact; they will also have the smallest carbon footprint compared to conventional PV technologies. The panels will be recycled after their useful lifespan.

The project employs several power conversion station (PCS) vaults and 400 units of SMA's Sunny Central inverter. Each PCS contains a pair of SMA inverters. The inverter is referred to as fault- ride-through technology, which employs dynamic voltage regulations technology. The new inverter technology supports and improves the reliability of the electric power system. Agua Calinte is the first solar power plant in the US to use this technology.

A new regional switchyard is also constructed at the site.

Development of Yuma County solar farm

The Agua Caliente solar farm is developed on 2,400 acres of farmland near the communities of Dateland and Hyder.

Work on the project was divided into two phases. The first phase has an installed capacity of 100MW, while the second phase has an installed capacity of 190MW, resulting in a total capacity of 290MW.

Construction of the Agua Caliente solar project phases

In January 2012, the project started commercial operations by generating 30MW of electricity to the grid. It exceeded 100MW of grid-connected power by spring 2012 and 200MW by the summer.Construction of phase one started in late 2010 and was completed in early 2012. The first solar PV panels were installed in June 2011. Construction on the second phase of the project was completed in April 2014.

Contractors for the Arizona solar power facility

First Solar was the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the solar project. Under the EPC contract, the company provided thin-film PV modules, as well as looks after the operation and maintenance of the plant.

Financing of Agua Caliente solar farm

The US Department of Energy (DOE) finalised a $967m loan guarantee to support the construction of the solar project, in August 2011.

Agua Prieta II Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plant, Sonora, Mexico

Mexico's state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is promoting the 476.4MW Agua Prieta II integrated solar combined-cycle (ISCC) power plant in Sonora, Mexico. It will be Mexico's first ISCC power plant including a 464.4MW combined-cycle power plant and a 12MW solar field.

Construction of the project began in March 2011 and commissioning is expected in 2015. The plant is estimated to offset approximately 391,270t of CO₂ emissions ovver an anticipated 25-year lifespan. The combined-cycle power plant is estimated to cost approximately $350m, while the solar field is estimated to cost $49.35m. Abengoa Solar was chosen to develop the solar field.

The project is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the United Nations' Development Programme.

Agua Prieta II integrated solar combined-cycle power plant details

The ISCCP project will be located in the municipality of Agua Prieta, approximately 2km away from the US border.

The project is being developed in two phases. The first phase includes the design and construction of a solar collector field capable of producing a gross power output of 14MW. The solar field will cover an area of over 85,000m² and will comprise 104 solar collector assemblies (SCAs) manufactured by Abengoa Solar.

The second phase involves the design and construction of a natural gas-fuelled, combined-cycle power plant, which is capable of producing up to 464.4MW of power. It will feature two industrial frame combustion turbines, a three-pressure reheat heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and a steam turbine.

The combined-cycle unit will use imported natural gas from the US, which will be supplied by a pipeline located 2km off the site. The unit will be interconnected with the solar field to form a hybrid concentrated solar power (CSP) plant.

Gray water from the Agua Prieta municipal sewage system, the only source of water available for the power plant, will be supplied through an 8in-diameter pipeline. A modular wastewater treatment plant will be installed to treat the gray water and produce boiler quality makeup water for the power plant and water for cleaning the solar trough components.

The project will also include the construction of two transmission lines and three substations, which will be undertaken by Abengoa.

Power generation and technology used at Agua Prieta II

The collectors will track the Sun's movement, ensuring continuous reflection of sun light onto the linear receiver. The heated HTF will pass through a series of heat exchangers to generate high-pressure superheated steam, which will be combined with the saturated high pressure (HP) steam produced in the heat recovery steam generator of the CCPP.The solar collector assemblies will be arranged in a loop of 26 rows containing four SCAs per loop. Each solar collector contains a linear parabolic-shaped reflector that will focus the Sun's direct beam radiation onto a linear receiver, which will be filled with a heat transfer fluid (HTF).

The combined steam flow will be superheated by the energy in the gas turbine exhaust and flow into the HP steam turbine. Exhaust steam from the HP turbine will be again reheated by the gas turbine exhaust energy.

The steam turbine will operate in sliding-pressure mode, inside the main pressure at the turbine inlet will be high during day and low during night based on the solar energy input. This will force the steam turbine to operate at part load condition, resulting in reduced steam turbine output.

The World Bank, through Global Environmental Facility (GEF), is funding the solar field under the United Nations Development Programme. CFE is financing the thermal plant, which accounts for 86% of the total cost.Financing

Contractors involved

Abengoa Solar, Abener Energía and Teyma were awarded the contract for the design, construction and commissioning of the Agua Prieta II project in July 2011.

SENER and ELECNOR were contracted for the construction and commissioning of the combined-cycle power plant.

Siemens was contracted to supply SPPA-E3000 low-voltage switchgear solution for the project. OCP was engaged to conduct earthworks and civil works for the power plant. IKM Testing México was engaged to conduct pre-operational cleaning services for the project.

AK-1000 Tidal Turbine Project, Scotland, United Kingdom

Atlantis Resource Corporation redeployed the AK-1000 tidal turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, in August 2011. The turbine will undergo tests for two years and will then be deployed on a large scale in Pentland Firth.

The breakthrough technology, which was originally slated to be commissioned in August 2010, got delayed due to a manufacturing defect in the turbine blades.

The AK-1000 is designed to subsist in harsh weathers and rough, open ocean environments. It has the capacity to generate 1MW of electrical power from a renewable energy source. The turbine is 22.5m high and can provide electricity to more than 1,000 homes.The turbine is deployed in the seabed and stands 73ft tall. The simple and robust turbine weighs around 1,300t. It is the largest and most powerful tidal power turbine in the world. A horizontal axis turbine, it is effective in water current speeds exceeding 2.6m.

Two sets of blades are fitted on a single unit of the AK-1000 tidal turbine to tackle reflux and flood tides. The diameter of each blade is 18m, and they rotate slowly at a rate of six to eight revolutions a minute, resulting in zero environmental impact.

Finances behind the AK-1000 tidal turbine project

Atlantis Resource Corporation invested approximately $25m to design, build and test the tidal turbine, raising $14m funds for its development.

Statkraft joined as a new partner and lead share investor in Atlantis by investing $8m in March 2009. Morgan Stanley has also been a shareholder in the company since 2007, acting as a financial adviser to Atlantis.

AK-1000 technology and science

The AK-1000 turbine is designed based on development and tests of the earlier two rotor AK-1000 turbines deployed at Orkney.

The AK-1000 tidal turbine absorbs energy from the high tide produced by the gravitational pull of the moon. Ocean currents are 832 times denser than air and can be easily stored with a small device, compared to that of wind energy.

The tidal turbine absorbs the kinetic energy in ocean currents and transmits it into renewable electricity. Tidal energy is a vast source of energy, as oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface. It is predicted that about 50,000MW or 180TWh of electricity a year can be generated through tidal energy worldwide.

Development of the Scottish AK-1000 tidal turbine project

The AK-1000 is Atlantis's first commercial scale grid connected project. Tempco of Singapore was responsible for manufacturing the turbine blades.

Scottish power market details and potential

Scotland produces around 48,000GWh power annually, mostly through coal. The remainder is produced from gas and oil, nuclear power and renewable sources.

Scotland intends to produce 50% of its electricity from inexhaustible sources by 2020, which is equivalent to an increase of 500% in wind and tidal farms. About half a million homes in Scotland will use ocean energy by 2020.There has been an 18% increase in renewable energy since 2006, most of it coming from non-hydro inexhaustible sources, such as wind, wave, tidal, solar energy and thermal. The alleviation in the non-hydro sources has been significant, rising from 0.6% in 2000 to 7.4% in 2007.

The Scottish Government has now identified the huge potential of ocean energy. Out of the total renewable obligation certificates (ROC) approved in the UK market, three ROCs are confirmed for tidal current energy.

Wood Mackenzie, a research consultancy, stated electricity demands will alleviate by 10% by 2020 and around 80% of the inexhaustible electricity will be provided by onshore wind farms. Marine, biomass and hydro energy will grow at a tenth of the rate of the new wind energy. About 15% of the total power requirements of UK can be met through ocean power potential.