Ansaldo will upgrade a power plant in Greece
The upgrade will reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Furrer: 'Upgrades are able to enhance existing assets'
Greater efficiency, more operational flexibility and reduced CO2 emissions. These are the benefits that will come from the upgrade announced for the combined-cycle power plant in Thisvi, Greece, in operation since 2010. Ansaldo Energia has won a contract with Enerwave, a company of Helleniq Energy group, one of the main energy players in south-eastern Europe, to upgrade the plant's gas turbine (also owned by Ansaldo), with installation scheduled for March 2027. With the renewal of the previous long-term service agreement, the Genoese group will also provide technical support to the facility for the next 14 years.
The upgrade, explain Ansaldo, 'will increase the power of the plant while improving efficiency. These interventions will reduce fuel consumption, lowering operating costs and contributing to a significant decrease in CO₂ emissions. In addition, the ramp rate (which defines the ability to switch from a low to a high load, ed) will be increased, ensuring a rapid response to grid variations,' related to the increasing penetration of renewable energy.
'We are convinced that Ansaldo Energia's upgrades at the Thisvi power plant will substantially increase the unit's overall performance,' said Antonis Argyrakis, power generation director at Enerwave, 'supporting the company in creating further value for the Greek energy system.
This project, says Reto Furrer, Ansaldo Energia's executive vice president thermal service, 'demonstrates how the company's upgrades can enhance the value of existing assets. The Thisvi power plant will be better prepared to meet the needs of the Greek electricity system and ensure energy security in the long term'.
In fact, this revamp is only the most recent in a series that the group is carrying out. In May last year, Ansaldo completed the upgrade of the gas turbine at Engie flexible generation France's Combigolfe power plant in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The upgrade served to introduce improvements in efficiency, performance and environmental sustainability. The main results of the upgrade, the company explains, 'include a 31 megawatt increase in power output and a 2.3% improvement in gas turbine efficiency, contributing to a significant reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. In addition, the upgrade allows up to 45 per cent hydrogen cocombustion capacity, offering the possibility of further reducing emissions by up to 20 per cent'.
