Alinta has awarded a $110 million contract to Alstom Australia Ltd for two 162 MW gas turbines fdestined for the cogeneration facility at Alcoa's Wagerup refinery.
Wagerup Stage 1 involves the construction of two gas turbines - operating in open-cycle mode -- to provide reserve capacity to the new wholesale electricity market in Western Australia.
Wagerup Stage 2 will involve the addition of heat recovery steam generators to the Stage 1 plant, enabling operation as a baseload power station providing both steam and electricity.
Alinta Power Services general manager Jim Hennessy said the awarding of the gas turbine contract to Alstom was an important step in bringing Wagerup Stage 1 to fruition.
The Alstom turbines are each capable of operating at 162 MW baseload and at 175.5 MW peak load. Mr Hennessy said Alinta would also implement a new contracting and construction strategy for Wagerup Stage 1.
Moving to an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management (EPCM) structure would provide greater control and flexibility than the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) structure which had been deployed for the first cogeneration unit at Alcoa's Pinjarra refinery. Construction of the $250 million Stage 1 project is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2006, with completion by October 2007.
