MHI Receives Full-Turnkey Order for 977MW GTCC Power Plant from KEGCO in Thailand

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received a full-turnkey order for the construction of a 977MW (megawatt) gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation plant from Khanom Electricity Generating Co., Ltd. (KEGCO), an independent power producer (IPP) in Thailand. The plant is to comprise of two trains of a 488.5MW power generation unit, with both blocks slated to go on-stream in June 2016. MHI and KEGCO also concluded a long-term service agreement (LTSA) for the plant.

The new GTCC power plant, which will be built in accordance with the Thailand Power Development Plan, will be located in Khanom District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in Southern Thailand, approximately 700 km south of Bangkok. Once the plant is completed, the power it generates will be supplied to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) under a long-term power purchase agreement, to support the nation’s robust electricity demand.

The GTCC power plant will have dual fuel specifications enabling both natural gas and diesel oil combustion, and will consist mainly of two M701F5 gas turbines, two steam turbines and two generators. MHI will manufacture and supply the gas and steam turbines and auxiliary equipment, while Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will be responsible for the generators. Civil and installation work at the construction site will be handled by Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Public Company Limited, a local construction firm. Mitsubishi Corporation is handling trade particulars. After plant inauguration, MHI will provide support in plant maintenance and management based on the LTSA.

KEGCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electricity Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO), a major IPP established in 1992 through privatization of part of EGAT. EGCO is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). Its major shareholders are EGAT and TEPDIA Generating B.V., a fifty-fifty joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated (TEPCO) and Mitsubishi Corporation.

GTCC power generation uses gas and steam turbines 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 power plants to achieve higher thermal efficiency, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and emissions, ultimately contributing to both efficient fossil fuel utilization and lighter burden on the environment. Owing to these beneficial features, demand for GTCC power plants is increasing globally.

MHI has already delivered numerous GTCC power generation systems in Japan and other countries, and the company enjoys a solid reputation in the power generation system market for both 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 as a way of making a strong contribution to more effective energy utilization and reduction of CO2 emissions worldwide.