Siemens Energy, a spin-off from the Siemens gas and power division, is set to build an advanced, ready-to-use combined cycle power plant in Lombardy, Italy.
The power plant, located in Ostiglia, is said to have low CO2 emissions than legacy coal or gas-fired power plants and will balance the fluctuating feed-in from wind and solar power plants to the grid.
Owned and operated by Italian utility EP Produzione, the power plant is being executed in consortium with Italian EPC companies Fata and Demont.
Siemens Energy said that the power plant will leverage its HL-class gas turbine technology, which enables maximum consumption of natural gas and high flexibility in operation.
In addition, the company will provide long-term services for the power plant’s core components.
EP Produzione CEO Luca Alippi said: “The new unit is a state-of-the-art project, providing a positive future perspective to the Ostiglia industrial site, securing investment and jobs, and supporting the energy transitions.
“As the system needs gas to power generation, more than ever current times highlight the need of very efficient plant, utilising gas at the best with the lowest possible emissions.
“We are pleased to implement such an investment, as well as of the fact that the project will additionally include improvement on the existing units.”
The power plant will be designed as a multi-shaft unit with the gas and steam turbines individually driving their own generator.
Siemens Energy will supply its SGT5-9000HL gas turbine, SGen5-3000W gas turbine generator, SST5-5000 steam turbine, SGen5-1200A steam turbine generator, a heat-recovery steam generator, and the T3000 control system.
The power plant will feature an air-cooled condenser (ACC), which eliminates the need to draw water for cooling, and will be designed to run on up to 30% hydrogen mix in the future.
In addition, the facility will have low nitrogen oxide emission levels, minimum fuel consumption and a wide, flexible operating range.
It is expected to become operational in 2025 and will produce 88MW of electricity, which is adequate to power more than half a million Italian households, said the company.
Siemens Energy executive board member Karim Amin said: “Our HL gas turbine technology will make a very decisive contribution to the success of the energy transition in Italy and all over the world.
“We need highly efficient and flexible gas-fired power plants in the energy mix to ramp up generation capacity to bridge the intermittence of renewables.
“Furthermore, our gas turbines can be operated with a mix of natural gas and green hydrogen, which will be an important feature of sustainable energy in the future.”
