08/03/2015, 14:00
| Media release
Kiel – Through its subsidiary Kraftanlagen München, Alpiq has been awarded a large-scale contract as general contractor for the planning and construction of a gas-fired combined heat and power plant in Kiel (Germany). The go-ahead for the project was given with the signing of the contract on 3 August 2015. The power station with an output of 190 MW will be implemented in cooperation with GE Jenbacher, the supplier of the gas engines. The power station was commissioned by the city of Kiel's public utility company, Stadtwerke Kiel, which due to the high proportion of wind-generated electricity in the grid, requires a low-emission power station that is readily controllable at short notice. It will replace an older coal-fired power station.
The new gas engine cogeneration plant will supply the city of Kiel with electricity and heat. The future-oriented power station combines twenty individually adjustable gas engines, each with an output of 9.5 MW, thus making it extremely flexible. Due to the region's high proportion of fluctuating wind power, Kiel's public utility company requires a plant that is readily adjustable at short notice, in order to replace its older coal-fired power station. The new power station has a modular design, which enables it to optimally balance power fluctuations and generate electricity to be sold on the balancing energy market. The power station stores surplus electric energy as heat (power to heat system), which in a time of low electricity prices represents a flexible and economical solution. The innovative plant is an exemplary solution for the challenges of the energy turnaround.
The power station will consist of 20 newly developed gas engines manufactured by GE Jenbacher, a subsidiary of General Electric from the municipality of Jenbach in Tyrol (Austria). The engines are characterised by a low level of emissions, a high output and a primary energy utilisation factor in excess of 90 percent. They have an electrical efficiency level of 45 percent. From standstill, the combined heat and power generation plant can power up to its nominal output of 190 MW within just a few minutes. In addition, the system will generate up to 192 MW of heat, which will either be fed into the city of Kiel's public district heating system, or stored during periods of low demand. Thus, the modern power station fulfils the highest requirements regarding flexibility, utilisation ratio and environmental friendliness.
With this contract, Kraftanlagen München once again demonstrates its know-how for pioneering power station projects. Already in February 2015, the Alpiq subsidiary was awarded a contract for approximately 100 million euro to construct a steam turbine power station in Moerdijk in the Netherlands. There the challenge was to use the energy generated from waste incineration in a sustainable manner. The adopted solution improves the performance capacity and efficiency of the plant and ensures the long-term future of the waste incineration facility. In Kiel, the combination between modern gas engines and modern storage technology for the supply of electricity and heat is a pioneering concept, because it takes account of the necessity for flexible energy generation that is readily controllable at short notice. Both projects document Alpiq's expertise in the fields of project management, planning and construction of modern, efficient and customised energy generation plants.