Statkraft to Develop 430-Megawatt CCGT Power Plant in Germany

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Statkraft AS (Oslo, Norway) plans to develop a second power plant at the Knapsack Industrial Estate in Hurth, Germany. The power plant, which will have a capacity of 430 megawatts (MW) and will cost about 300 million euros ($446 million), is expected to go online by 2012. Statkraft initiated a land survey early this year, and licensing procedures are now under way. The final investment decision is likely to be made by mid-2010.

The combined-cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) plant will be built a 5-hectare area within the estate, where Statkraft has been operating an 800-MW unit since 2007. The 800-MW Statkraft CCGT unit houses three generators, a steam turbine, two gas turbines, associated control systems and electrical infrastructure. Designed and constructed by Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) and comprising more than 7,000 individual components, the pre-engineered plant runs on hot vapor from the combined-cycle steam-generation process with a thermal efficiency of 58%. Each 270-MW turbine is outfitted with stress- and heat-resistant ceramic-coated blades capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,732 degrees Fahrenheit). Siemens is also required to handle maintenance activities of the plant for a period of 12 years.

Gas supply for the plant comes from OAO Gazprom (OTC:OGZPY) (Moscow, Russia) subsidiary Wingas GmbH (Kassel, Germany) and Wintershall Holding AG (Kassel), while a power purchase agreement is in place with Essent NV (Arnhem, Netherlands) for 33% of the plant's yearly output of 6 terawatt-hours. RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) acquired Essent this year.

The new gas-fired plant will be modeled on the lines of the 800-MW unit. Apart from the power plant, the venture also includes construction of a new gas supply pipeline and power transmission cables associated with the plant. A 13-kilometer gas pipeline has been planned alongside the existing pipeline to Wesseling, where it will be linked to the Stolberg-Porz line of E.ON Ruhrgas AG (Essen, Germany), a subsidiary of E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany). A 300-kilometer high-voltage underground cable from RWE will connect the power station to the national grid.

Statkraft has been active in Germany for some time now and has another operating plant in Hendercke. The gas-fired plants are primarily considered as alternatives to Germany's coal-based power plants, producing about 50% less carbon-dioxide emissions than coal-fired plants and a nine-fold reduction in nitrogen oxides. About 40,000 MW of Germany's coal-fired capacity is scheduled to be phased out by 2020 to help the country achieve established emission-reduction targets.

Statkraft hopes to double its power generation capacity in Europe from the current 2,200 MW by 2015. The venture at Hurth is expected to bring the company closer to this target.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.