Alstom to build €700m power plant

Alstom has won a contract worth over €700m with US-based global energy company AES Corporation to build a turnkey 670MW clean coal power plant in Bulgaria.

According to a statement, Alstom will provide an integrated clean power solution including engineering, procurement, construction, and in-house manufacturing of the main equipment for the Maritza East 1 lignite-fired power plant, located near the town of Galabovo in the south-east of the country.

Alstom says the plant will achieve emissions levels below those required by the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive. It will be equipped with Alstom advanced lignite-firing pulverised coal boilers using state-of-the-art low NOx burners.

In addition to the boilers, emissions control will be achieved with post-combustion equipment from Alstom. The limestone-based wet flue gas desulphurisation (wet FGD) system will achieve 98% sulphur dioxide removal. The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) will limit particulate emissions.

The plant will feature other proven in-house Alstom technology, including two 335MW turbine-generator sets, TOPGAS turbogenerators, coal and ash handling systems as well as electrical, information and control systems and balance of plant.

Maritza East 1 will be the first large-scale power project to be built in Bulgaria for the last twenty years and is planned to start commercial operation in 2009.