Rolls-Royce has received two new contracts from paper manufacturers in Spain and Portugal for RB211 aero-derivative gas turbine-powered electrical generating sets to be used in co-generation plants. The units are also covered by ten-year TotalCare® service agreements.

Europac has ordered one of the RB211-GT61 units, rated at 31MW, for installation at its Dueñas paper mill in northern Spain. It will join three
Rolls-Royce 501-powered generating sets to become part of a plant providing both the electrical and thermal energy (super heated steam) required to support a planned increase in paper production at the site.

Excess electrical power produced by the new plant will be exported to the Spanish national grid.

A planned increase in paper production by Europac’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Portucel Viana, at its Viana do Castello paper mill in Portugal has resulted in a second order for an RB211-GT61 genset for this site. One RB211 genset is already operating at the site with a 25MW steam turbine to meet the existing electrical and process requirements.

Both RB211-GT61 units are fitted with a dry low emissions (DLE) combustion system to suppress emissions, a requirement that is now mandatory on all electrical generating equipment installed throughout Europe.

Both of the new natural gas fuelled units will be expected to operate continuously, as any disruption to the production process can affect the quality of the paper product.

The two RB211 engines will be manufactured at the company’s Montreal facility in Canada, while the gas turbine packages will be assembled at the Mount Vernon, Ohio plant, in the USA.

Shipment of the unit for Europac is scheduled for the second quarter of 2008 with the one for Portucel contracted for the fourth quarter of 2008.

Service support for these new units will be provided from the Rolls-Royce facility in Tarragona. The facility currently provides support for a fleet of over 130 gas engines and four industrial RB211 gas turbines operating in Spain and Portugal.