El Paso Electric Moves Forward with Combined-Cycle Unit Addition

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In order to meet growing demand for electrical power, El Paso Electric Company (NYSE:EE) (El Paso, Texas) is proceeding with the development of a 285-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle addition to the 559-MW Newman Power Station in El Paso.

The station began commercial operation in 1960 and is equipped with three natural-gas-fired steam units capable of generating 285 MW. The steam units all utilize Babcock & Wilcox front-fired boilers. The Allis-Chalmers (NYSE:ALY) (Houston, Texas) Unit 1 as well as the GE Energy (NYSE:GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut) Unit 2 generate 81 MW each, and the GE Energy Unit 3 has a capacity of 123 MW. In addition to the existing steam turbines, the station's combined-cycle Unit 4 consists of two 77-MW natural-gas-fired Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation W501B6 combustion turbines coupled with heat-recovery steam generators to drive a single 120-MW steam turbine generator. Unit 4 started commercial operation in 1975.

Now, El Paso is moving forward with installing the 285-MW Unit 5, which will be the second natural-gas-fired combined-cycle unit at the station. The new unit will utilize two GE MS7001EA combustion turbine generators, two heat-recovery steam generators and a single Fuji steam turbine generator to increase total capacity of the station. El Paso has selected PB Power, a unit of Parsons Brinckerhoff Incorporated (New York, New York), to provide engineering services for the project. Plans call for selecting a general contractor by the end of this year in order to begin construction in early 2009 and commercial operation by 2011.

For the long-term, El Paso is conducting feasibility studies and gauging interests from outside partners for the potential construction of a 500-MW coal-fired unit at Newman. This is still in the early evaluation studies and construction is unlikely to begin until later next decade.

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