Project Digest: North Bangkok CCPP, Block 2

The capacity expansion of Thailand’s North Bangkok lies at the heart of EGAT’s development plans
Credit: Italian-Thai Development Co. Ltd

Thailand to
showcase latest
upgrade of
Alstom’s GT26 in
combined-cycle
The North Bangkok Combined-Cycle Power Plant block 2 forms a crucial part of
EGAT’s current power development plan, which spans the period from 2010 to 2030.
North Bangkok 2 is also unique in that it features the latest upgrade of
Alstom’s GT26 heavy-duty gas turbine.

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 Project Digest: North Bangkok CCPP, Block 2

W
hen the second block fiercely competitive market, price has become To cope with increasing demand for
of the North Bangkok one of the most important considerations. power, EGAT has plans to build four new fossil
power plant in fuel-fired power plants that will enter service
Thailand enters service Snapshot of Thai power sector between 2014 and 2019. These include two
in 2016 it will be the The supply of electricity in Thailand is CCPPs that will provisionally start operating in
first Combined-Cycle dominated by EGAT, a government-owned 2014, with the North Bangkok project entering
Power Plant (CCPP) that Alstom has built for utility that controls the largest amount of service in 2016, and a clean coal project that
the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand generating capacity in the country. EGAT’s is scheduled for completion at Krabi in 2019.
(EGAT), and the first CCPP in the world to use overall capacity in 2012 topped 15,000 Except for Krabi and a 600 MW lignite-fired
the latest upgrade of the F-class heavy-duty MW. This was made up of 4699 MW of plant at Mae Moh due to enter service by
gas turbine, the GT26. thermal capacity (primarily lignite-fired), 2017, all the new plants will burn natural gas.
Alstom won the contract to build the plant 6866 MW based on natural gas-fired CCPPs, The utility is also expecting to expand its
in a consortium with Sumitomo Corporation 3436 MW of hydropower capacity, 4 MW of portfolio of renewable power generation with
of Japan. The latter already has a strong diesel capacity and only 5 MW of renewable an addition 700 MW of new capacity, much of
involvement with EGAT, having supplied block power generating units – the large hydropower based on small hydro.
1 at the North Bangkok site as part of an plants that the company owns are not
earlier consortium. classified as renewables. Development of
The Engineering Procurement and In addition to the capacity owned by North Bangkok site
Construction (EPC) contract for block 2 was EGAT, supply in Thailand is supplemented The North Bangkok site for the new power
signed in February 2013. The contract was by ten large independent power producers plant has housed a power plant for many
plans awarded after a competitive international and a number of small power producers, years. The earliest power plant at the site, with
o. Ltd
tendering process, which was launched in which between them provided 17,591 MW a generating capacity of 238 MW, was retired
February 2012 involving four bidders. of generating capacity in 2012. Power is also in 2001.
The scope of the project comprises two imported from a series of hydropower stations Its replacement, the North Bangkok power
single-shaft combined-cycle units with a in neighbouring Laos, as well as from a plant block 1, was proposed for construction
combined generating capacity of 850 MW.The 300 MW interconnector between the Thailand in the 2004 Power Development Plan and
site of the power plant is adjacent to EGAT’s grid and that of Malaysia. the contract for it was placed in 2007. The
headquarters in the Thai capital, making Growth in electricity demand in Thailand station entered service in 2010. This plant
this a prestigious project for the companies is expected to increase over the coming comprises two 221 MW gas turbines and one
building it, as Alstom project director, Madhu years. EGAT’s current power development 262 MW steam turbine in a combined-cycle
Soothanan Velayutham, stresses. plan (2010–30), had to be revised in 2012 to configuration and has a generating capacity
This is not Alstom’s first contract in Thailand. take account of the accelerating demand of 704 MW. It burns natural gas supplied by
In 1992, Alstom recorded the first combined- growth. Economic growth in 2012 was around PTT Public Company Limited.
cycle project in Thailand with the 300 MW 5.5 per cent and a similar level of growth is When the first block was constructed at
Rayong CCPP. To date, Alstom has built over expected in 2013 as the country emerges the site, adjacent to the EGAT headquarters
7 GW of installed capacity in Thailand, from the effects of both the global economic on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, the
including several gas-fired power plants – the recession and the great flood of 2011, which environmental impact assessment for the site
730 MW Bowin, the 350 MW Bang Bo and the had a major economic impact across included the possibility of an expansion to
1250 MW Kaeng Khoi 2. However, securing a the country. the project.This expansion is now proceeding
contract with EGAT is considered an important
step in strengthening its presence here.
North Bangkok CCPP block 2 will form
a crucial part of EGAT’s current power
development plan that spans the period
from 2010 to 2030. By the end of this period,
the installed generating capacity in Thailand
is expected to reach 55,000 MW, versus
32,880 MW available as of April 2013.
The total cost of the second block of
the North Bangkok CCPP has been put at
15.9 billion Thai Baht (approximately
€374 million). It is an illustration of the
competitive nature of the global power plant
industry that the first block at the site, with a
gross generating capacity of 700 MW, was Alstom’s latest upgrade of the GT26 offers both high efficiency and fuel flexibility
Credit: Alstom
priced at a significantly higher unit price. In a

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 Project Digest: North Bangkok CCPP, Block 2

Under the terms of the contract, Alstom

will supply the gas and steam turbines,
the generators, the heat recovery steam
generators (HRSG) and condenser, while
Sumitomo will provide the balance of plant.
Alstom also has a 12-year service agreement
for the power plant under a separate contract.
Alstom will supply the gas turbines for
the plant from its manufacturing facilities in
Switzerland and Germany. The steam turbines
and generators will be manufactured in
Switzerland and Poland. However the two heat
HRSGs are being manufactured at Alstom’s
subsidiary in Surabaya, Indonesia. This boiler
manufacturing facility in East Java was
established in 1996. The condenser will come
from Indonesia too.

Plant design
The North Bangkok CCPP’s block 2 will
comprise of two single-shaft combined-
cycle units, a different configuration to that
The upgraded GT26 gas turbines will be manufactured at Alstom’s factories in Europe.
Credit: Alstom employed in block 1 at the site, where the
exhaust heat from two gas turbines is used
to raise steam for a single steam turbine.
in the shape of the North Bangkok CCPP with contract signing in February 2013 and The single-shaft configuration allows the gas
block 2. a 36-month construction schedule, start-up is turbine and the steam turbine to share a shaft
Located close to residential areas at now expected early in 2016. with the generator, providing a compact and
the Nonthaburi Provice in the northern tightly integrated unit. Alstom refers to its GT26
part of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, specific in a combined-cycle configuration as KA26.
environmental requirements were stipulated. Each generator will be a hydrogen-cooled
These included cooling tower with plume
abatement system, exterior cladding to
“With 850 MW unit and the gas turbine for each unit will be
the latest upgrade of Alstom’s 50 Hz F-class
integrate the power plant to the environment generating capacity, GT26. Each shaft will also have its own HRSG
and stringent requirements for noise. located in the so that each can operate independently
The proposal to build the plant was put heart of the Thai if necessary. The HRSG is a horizontal flow,
forward by EGAT to the government as a
matter of urgency as it became clear that
capital, this is a triple-pressure design with reheat. The steam
turbines are Alstom model STF15C units.
power demand was rising faster than had prestigious project” The GT26 units will be equipped with
originally been anticipated when the power sequential combustion, featuring Alstom’s
development plant 2010-30 was first published. Consortium structure and scope unique Dry-Low-NOx EV-/SEV-Combustion
In addition to this, delays in independent of contract System, which allow low emission levels over
power producer projects and new schemes The structure of the consortium between the widest operational range. There will be
being developed by small power producers Alstom and Sumitomo makes the former a 230 kV gas insulated switchgear from
meant that the power reserve in the country the technical leader, while Sumitomo is the which power from the new block will travel
was expected to be 9.7 per cent below the commercial leader. underground for a distance of 500 metres to
standard level by 2014. This means that Alstom will be responsible the North Bangkok substation.
The North Bangkok CCPP block 2 will help for engineering, design, supply and delivery
alleviate this situation. It was approved by of the complete power island, as well as the Fuel supply
the government in November 2010 and put commissioning of block 2. Sumitomo will, The new North Bangkok plant is designed
out to international tender in February 2012. provide engineering, supply and delivery of to operate on natural gas. Natural gas is
As already noted, the contract was awarded the balance of plant, and be responsible as the primary source of power generation in
to the consortium comprising Alstom and lead contractor for the civil works at the site. Thailand, accounting for 67 per cent of total
Sumitomo early in 2013. The original startup The Japanese company also takes the lead plant output.
date in the 2012 revision of the power role as principle contractor responsible for Thailand has significant natural gas
development plan was late 2015. However construction of the entire new CCPP. reserves, mainly located offshore in the

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 Project Digest: North Bangkok CCPP, Block 2

Gulf of Thailand. Production has increased Thailand boasts the largest fleet of GT26 power plants in Asia,
steadily over recent years though not with seven commercially operational units, including Bang Bo CCPP
Credit: Alstom
enough to cope with rising demand.
Consequently, the country has had to seek
gas from other sources too. These include
imports by pipeline from Myanmar and a
recently constructed liquefied natural gas
(LNG) terminal to import LNG from across
the world. Sources have included Qatar,
Russia, Peru and Nigeria, purchased on both
a contract and spot basis.
With natural gas coming from a variety of
sources, the quality and composition of gas
supplied to consumers is bound to vary. This
is a factor which gas turbine manufacturers
have to take into account when designing
new machinery. Alstom’s GT26 turbine is a
pioneer of fuel flexibility allowing the highest
fluctuation in natural gas compositions in
the industry..

Features of upgraded GT26

The GT24/GT26 gas turbine gives power
providers unmatched operational versatility,
with the unique ability to switch on line
between two operational modes – Power for modern heavy-duty gas turbines in Project schedule
Optimisation for higher performance or combined-cycle configuration but other The issuing of a letter of intent for the North
Maintenance Cost Optimisation for up to factors have become important too as the Bangkok project took place on 15 January
30 per cent more operation time between market has changed. One of these is the 2013 with the signing of the contract between
scheduled inspections. need to be able to operate efficiently not EGAT and the consortium taking place on
Alstom’s GT26 gas turbine is the latest in only at base load, but also at part load. The 4 February 2013. Civil work has now started at
a line of gas turbines based on a two-stage second is the capability of he plant to follow the construction site adjacent to the existing
sequential combustion system, essentially the load demand, even for very low loads, power plant. Delivery of the main power
similar to the reheat design used in steam while staying emission compliant. The KA26 island components from the manufacturers is
turbines. In this case, however, the gases has been designed so that it can stay on line expected in mid 2014.
undergo a second stage of combustion at a load as low as 20 per cent from which it The two single-shaft combined-cycle units
part way through the turbine. For over 50 can ramp up to 350 MW in 15 minutes. will be delivered on separate dates; each
years Alstom has been developing and As for fuel, the combustion system used delivered by ship. The first set of gas turbine,
perfecting alternative design features, in the GT26 has been adapted so that it steam turbine and generator are expected on
and was the first to introduce sequential can respond to changes in fuel composition site in May 2014. These will be followed by the
combustion technology. rapidly. A gas composition monitoring sensor components of the second shaft in July 2014.
The GT26 and its 60 Hz companion, the is to be placed in the gas pipeline close to the The HRSGs will be delivered in parts for erection
GT24, were originally introduced in the mid plant from where it can signal any change in at the site. The first group of components are
1990s. Since then performance has gradually quality before the fuel reaches the turbine due to arrive in February 2014 and the second
been improved so that net efficiency in combustors. Combustion conditions are then in April 2014. Commissioning of the combined-
combined-cycle configuration (when it is adapted to maintain stable combustion with cycle units start in October 2014 and will be
referred to as KA26) reached 57 per cent in the different fuel composition. completed in January 2016.
1999 and 58.7 per cent in 2006. The latest At North Bangkok, the new combined- North Bangkok CCPP block 2 is unlikely to
version is expected to be capable of close cycle units are initially intended to provide be the last CCPP that EGAT builds. Generating
to 60 per cent net efficiency. Over the same baseload power with a duty cycle similar capacity is expected to expand by more than
period the net power output of the KA26 to that of block 1 at the plant. However as 20,000 MW between 2013 and 2030. While
configuration has increased from 378 MW in Thailand introduces increased amounts of the government hopes some of this will be
1999 to 431 MW by 2006. At North Bangkok, renewable power generation it is possible provided by new renewable energy sources,
the nominal output of the single shaft that units such as those being installed for natural gas-fired plants are set toremain
combined-cycle configuration is 425 MW. block 2 may one day be required to play a mainstay of the supply system for the
Efficiency remains a major design goal more of a grid support role. foreseeable future.

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