Bangkok--2 Jul--TQPR Thailand
Thailand project team to lead engineering and technical scope to transform power plant into one of the world's most efficient combined cycle facilities.
Black & Veatch will design enhancements to the Hamitabat combined cycle power plant in Turkey. Drawing on global expertise from Thailand to the U.S., Black & Veatch will help transform Turkey's first gas-fired power plant into one of the world's most efficient and modern combined cycle facilities.
Lead contractor GAMA Power Systems Inc. (GAMA) selected Black & Veatch to help replace aging turbines in operation since the 1980s. Four combined cycle turbine (2-on-1) units will become two single shaft units. Both units will use the latest Siemens 50 Hz H-class combustion turbines together with new steam turbines to generate approximately a total of 1,200 megawatts (MW). The replacement will increase power generation efficiency and simplify operations.
"By using the latest turbine technology, Hamitabat's current efficiency will rise from about 38 percent to 62 percent. This creates a more sustainable facility that burns less fuel for every megawatt with direct financial and environmental benefits in kind," said John Hughes, Project Director for Black & Veatch's energy business.
Black & Veatch is providing overall detailed design engineering and technical procurement support during the design phase as well as potentially on-site engineering during the construction.
"We are drawing on our deep bench of gas-fired experience here in Thailand as well as on our U.S. colleagues, while working around the clock with GAMA in Turkey," said Ruechai Lagampan, Manager of Engineering. "Close to 70 percent of Thailand's grid comes from natural gas fired generation, and our engineers in Bangkok have worked on some of the region's most advanced and efficient combined cycle facilities."
Operating in Thailand since the 1960s, Black & Veatch has a number of gas-fired projects under its belt including the award winning Glow Phase 5, and more recently Chana 2 and Wang Noi 4 which were completed in 2014. The Thailand office has also made significant contributions to the ongoing Oregon Clean Energy project (Ohio, US).
The project is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2017.