Switzerland-based Advanced Power said that its 700MW gas-fired plant built at a cost of $899m in Carroll County in northeastern Ohio, has started commercial operations.
The power plant named as Carroll County Energy fueled by natural gas has the capacity to meet the power consumption needs of around 750,000 homes.
Carroll County Energy, which features two GE 7F.05 gas turbines and a D602 steam turbine, was built under a turnkey construction contract by Bechtel.
The gas-fired power plant is being operated by Ethos Energy through 22 employees while its business is managed by Advanced Power.
According to Advanced Power, Carroll County Energy has been built in an area with low-priced natural gas production, close to the 345kV transmission lines of AEP's and also to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline system of Kinder Morgan.
Plans to construct the Carroll County power plant were revealed in July 2013 and in April 2015, Advanced Power closed the project financing. In July 2015, construction work started on the power project, involving around 700 people.
Apart from Advanced Power, the other equity investors of the project are TIAA Investments, JERA, Ullico and Prudential Capital Group.
Advanced Power asset management president Chuck Davis said: “In the four-plus years since we first announced plans to build this state-of-the-art generation facility, Carroll County Energy has received outstanding support from the leadership and citizens of the Village of Carrollton, Washington Township and Carroll County.”
According to Bechtel, the Carroll County power plant meets National Ambient Air Quality Standards and will produce 50% lesser carbon dioxide and 90% less sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide when compared to a conventional coal-fired power plant.
The construction major, on its website, also said that Carroll County Energy’s advanced emissions-control technology makes it one of the cleanest and most efficient natural gas power plants in the US.