Equipment for 360-megawatt combined-cycle power project is sixth order for ABB`s latest-technology gas turbines
Zurich, Switzerland, July 2, 1996 - ABB, the international electrical engineering company, has won an advanced gas turbine order for the 360-megawatt Taranaki combined-cycle power plant in New Zealand. The order for the turnkey portion of the project, valued at approximately US$ 150 million, was placed with ABB by independent power project developer Stratford Power Limited of New Zealand. Stratford Power is the agent company for the joint venture between Transalta and Fletcher Challenge. Taranaki will be the most efficient combined-cycle plant in the rapidly developing Australasia region. The plant, to be located near Stratford, some 30 kilometers east of New Plymouth, will deliver electricity to the New Zealand public grid. Construction is scheduled to begin in August, 1996, with completion planned within 20 months.
ABB will supply one 240-megawatt type GT26 sequential combustion gas turbine, the associated heat recovery steam generator, one steam turbine, generator and all auxiliary equipment. The power plant will be arranged in a single shaft configuration, a design which provides operating simplicity and high reliability. In addition, the layout of a single shaft power plant is more compact, which leads to reduced costs for civil work and shorter construction periods.
ABB's sequential combustion gas turbines achieve higher efficiencies at both full and part-load operation thanks to an innovative design in which fuel is burned in two combustion chambers simultaneously. Compared to conventional turbines, which achieve higher efficiency by increasing firing temperatures in combination with complex and costly cooling technology, the ABB sequential combustion turbine is more reliable, costs less to operate and maintain, and produces lower emissions.
A total of fourteen of ABB`s sequential combustion gas turbines have been ordered to date for projects in America, Europe and Asia, all scheduled to be operating commercially by early 1998. The Taranaki order was won in an intensely competitive international market. It reflects ongoing acceptance of ABB`s latest generation of high-performance gas turbines by the power industry, including independent power producers (IPPs) and their partners in the international financial community.
ABB's Power Generation segment employs more than 46,000 people worldwide with orders in 1995 of over US$ 10 billion. The ABB Group employs approximately 210,000 people with orders in 1995 of over US$ 36 billion.
(End)