Inland Empire CCGT Power Station, Riverside County, CA, USA

GE Energy's first 60Hz H-System power plant is being constructed in Southern California, USA. Calpine Corporation and GE have started work on what should become the USA's most advanced gas turbine combined-cycle power plant. The 800MW, natural gas-fired plant represents an investment of more than $500 million, and is located at Inland Empire in Riverside County, California.

Inland Empire is located on about 46 acres (19ha) near Romoland in Riverside County. The site is bordered by McLaughlin Road to the south, San Jacinto Road to the east, Antelope Road to the west and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway to the north.

The power plant received its license from the California Energy Commission in June 2005, and GE acquired the site and related development rights in August. The companies expect to bring the Inland Empire Energy Center online by the summer of 2008.

EFFICIENT CCGT DESIGN

The H System is the industry's most fuel-efficient CCGT technology and the first to reach 60% thermal efficiency. The turbines will generate enough electricity to supply nearly 600,000 households while reducing future carbon dioxide emissions by more than 146,000t (148 million kg) per year over a typical CCGT plant.

The first H-system turbines were installed in Baglan Bay, and the Inland Empire Energy Center will be the first US plant to use them. They have been upgraded since Baglan Bay. For example, the combustion gas temperature drop of the Baglan Bay turbine was lower than expected. Optimizing the design increased performance and power output. A fuel moisturisation system also adds a saturator in front of the existing fuel heater. The saturator adds water vapour to increase the mass flow through the turbine. This increased output by above 5MW and reduced NOx emissions.

The three years required to construct and test the new turbines will need over a million hours of labour, with more than 500 construction workers involved in the project.

LACK OF ENERGY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Southern California is the seventh largest economy in the world but is one of the most energy-deficient power markets in the US. The companies involved expect to bring the Inland Empire Energy Center on line in time to help offset state-forecasted energy shortfalls.

GE will finance, own and operate the Inland Empire Energy Center. Calpine Power Services will manage plant construction, and Calpine Energy Services will manage the plant's output and fuel requirements under a long-term marketing arrangement with GE. After an extended period of GE ownership, Calpine expects to purchase the plant and become its sole owner and operator, with GE continuing to provide long-term critical plant maintenance services.

CHANGES TO ORDER

The original order specified GE PG-7251(FB) combustion turbine-generators with heat recovery steam generators, one steam turbine generator, associated pollution-control equipment, a switchyard and other ancillary facilities.

The order was then modified to specify the H-System turbines. The modification needed changes to the site layout, and added around four acres to the fenced area of the project site. It also added two temporary areas near the project site for construction worker parking and secondary laydown.

CONNECTS TO EXISTING SUBSTATION

An on-site switchyard will connect to the existing Southern California Edison Valley substation. This is approximately one mile east of the site, across a new 500kV transmission line.

A new 4.7-mile (7.6km), 18in (46cm) pipeline will dispose of non-reclaimable wastewater. Sanitary wastewater will be discharged to an existing 33in (84cm) sewer line in McLaughlin Road. The project will use up to 5,000 acre-feet per year of recycled water as available. Initially, raw water will supplement recycled water until this is available.

Natural gas will be delivered using one of two pipelines. The preferred option is the new 20in (51cm) Menifee Road pipeline which is connected to the existing Sempra Energy lines.