Construction well underway on Aghada's combined cycle power plant

A key element of the business strategy for ESB Power Generation is the construction of a new 430MW combined cycle power plant at Aghada, Co. Cork. The necessary authorisation and approvals were granted for this development in April 2007. The construction phase of the new plant is now well advanced and is on schedule for commercial operation on October 31st, 2009.

The construction works are being delivered under an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract signed between ESB and ALSTOM Power. The management of this contract is being undertaken, on behalf of ESB Power Generation, by ESBI Engineering and Facilities Management. ALSTOM Power mobilised on site in July 2007 and have made significant progress with civil works foundations for the plant now substantially complete

An important milestone recently passed was the laying of a 440m long outfall pipe for discharging the main cooling water into Cork harbour. This HDPE pipe was extruded in one piece and towed to site from Norway. Protected by concrete collars, it was successfully laid below the seabed by the maritime engineering contractors Van Oord.

The gas turbine being supplied by ALSTOM Power is a GT26B 2.2 dual-fuel model, an upgraded version of the Synergen plant in operation at Ringsend. The manufacturing of the power plant is now well advanced and the gas turbine's rotor spin tests were successfully completed in Birr, Switzerland, on Monday, April 7th.

The main items of plant including the gas turbine, generator and steam turbine are scheduled to be shipped to Aghada in June and will be unloaded at the site’s barge-landing facilities.

There are approximately 130 workers on the site at present but when the the mechanical and electrical works start in early May, this number will increase significantly with a peak of 550 workers in the August/September period. It is expected that commissioning of the plant will start in December, with first fire of the unit in March 2009.

The gas fuel for the plant will be supplied via a new 12km pipe, which is currently under construction by Bord Gáis Eireann (BGE) under a Gas Connection Agreement signed between ESB and BGE. Similarly, a Transmission Connection Agreement signed between ESB and EirGrid will deliver the shallow and deep grid reinforcement works necessary to export the power from the new plant and the existing plant.

The biggest and most important challenge of the project is to ensure that it is delivered safely and that it meets its target of zero lost time accidents and incidents. ESB and ALSTOM Power will continue to proactively manage all health and safety issues on site to ensure the overall success of the project for all parties concerned. EM