U.S. Combined-Cycle Power Projects Set to Blossom through 2014

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Industrial Info is tracking 31,350 megawatts (MW) of combined-cycle power projects that are scheduled to begin construction in the 2012-14 time frame, with seven of these projects in the 1,000-MW range. With natural gas futures expected to remain low and gas production to increase, combined-cycle power production will remain a steady energy source for years to come.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing the breakdown of Combined Cycle projects by region.

The U.S. market region that currently leads in the development of combined-cycle projects is the Northeast market region, which consists of Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, in which Industrial Info is currently tracking 12 projects that are valued at $9.7 billion, followed by the West Coast market region, which consists of 10 combined-cycle projects valued at $5.9 billion.

Combined-cycle power plants are some of the most efficient facilities in the world for producing electricity. Combine these facilities with low-cost natural gas and the retirement of older coal-fired power plants, and the result could be the near-term future of fossil-fuel energy production. For more information, see December 2, 2011, article - Newest Generation of Gas Turbines Provides Large Promises for Power Community.

Combined-cycle power plant efficiency ranges between 50% and 60%, with heat rates in the 5,950 to 10,000 range, and the plants are capable of full or partial loads. These cutting-edge plants are among the power industry's more flexible and economically prudent options. The combined-cycle power plant, depending upon the technological configuration, is capable of producing between 500 and 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with 1 MW able to power 1,000 average homes.

The secret to combined-cycle efficiency is found in the facility configuration, which attaches the prime mover combustion turbine to a heat recovery steam generator, using the recovered heat to produce steam that powers a large steam-turbine generator. The steam turbine is typically one-third of the total power output of the combined-cycle plant, from the same amount of turbine energy without any additional fuel consumption.

With the expected retirement of one-third of the existing coal-fired power plants over the next 10 years, the development and construction of the combined-cycle power plant is increasing at a rapid pace.

The advantages of combined-cycle generation are numerous:

• The cost to build is lower than coal, nuclear or renewable generation of the same size.
• The time it takes to build is faster than fossil, hydroelectric or nuclear plants of comparable size.
• The plant produces a large amount of power with a relatively small footprint.
• Maintenance costs are relatively low and mechanical life is long, though repair costs are typically high.
• Start-up time for the gas turbine is measured in minutes, not hours, as in a steam turbine plant.
• Gas turbines can use a wide variety of fuels, from natural gas to fuel oil to aircraft distillate, or a combination.
• Atmospheric air is typically the working fluid for gas turbines and generally requires no coolant for basic operation.

For more information, see November 29, 2011, article - Retiring Coal-Fired Plants Increase Demand for Gas Fired Combustion Turbines.

Combined-cycle thermal efficiency increases as gas turbine-specific power increases. The gas turbine's firing temperature is the primary determinant of the specific power. The development of high-temperature/high-strength materials, corrosion-resistant coatings and improved cooling technology has led to increases in gas turbine firing temperatures. This increase in firing temperature is the primary development that has led to increases in combined-cycle thermal efficiencies.

Typical gas turbine exhaust gas temperatures of 1,000 to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit are well-suited to efficient combine-cycle operation. The exhaust gas temperature enables the heat transfer to the steam cycle to occur with a minimal difference in temperature, and this small difference ensures maximum thermodynamic availability when operating with the highest steam-cycle efficiency.

It takes 20 to 30 months, on average, to build a combined-cycle plant, and it can be built in phases, starting in a simple-cycle mode to begin producing electricity, and then adding the steam turbine component to complete the configuration. This allows the owner to build up as load demand increases, without overcapacity issues.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.