BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA / ACCESSWIRE / November 17, 2023 / Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) initiated the project to convert the Brigadier Lopez open cycle Thermoelectric Plant into a combined cycle. The power station is located in the Sauce Viejo industrial park (Route 11, KM 455), 22 km from Santa Fe capital city. The company committed an estimated investment of US$ 150 million.
The plant, which has a dual-fuel Siemens SGT5-4000 F gas turbine with a total nominal power of 292 MW, will increase its capacity by 140MW thanks to the closing cycle. This means that total power output will reach 432MW, enough to supply more than 300,000 homes throughout the country, by injecting power to the interconnected system through the 132kV connection.
In the first stage, the project will prompt the creation of more than 130 jobs (both direct and indirect workers). With time, as the project moves forward, more local suppliers are expected to be incorporated..
In this regard, Fernando Bonnet, General Manager of Central Puerto, said:
"From the moment we acquired the power plant, we took all the necessary steps to create the conditions that allowed us to carry out this complex work in the best way, making it a priority to undergo the revisions, improvements and adaptations that will allow the existing facilities to be optimized and modernized. The importance of this work lies not only in the efficiency that the new combined cycle will achieve, being among the most efficient in the country, but also in the fact that it will be able to use natural gas provided by Vaca Muerta. The gaseous fluid will reach the power plant through the gas pipeline recently inaugurated and the northern gas pipeline, which operation is being transformed to move fluids in the south-north direction. Thus, Brigadier Lopez Thermal Power Plant will use natural gas most of the time, increasing its dispatch.
We are very proud to launch this project that means optimization of resources, growth and diversification of the company's energy matrix. Furthermore, taking into consideration that the power plant will use mostly natural gas, it will also contribute to the energy transition."
Operation of a Combined Cycle Power Plant
An open cycle thermal plant produces electrical energy through a generator driven by an internal combustion turbine, with natural gas as the main fuel used in this type of turbines. Closing the cycle implies the installation of a recovery boiler that uses the heat from the combustion gases of that gas turbine to produce steam to drive a second turbine, a steam one. Another generator is coupled to this steam turbine, making it possible to increase energy output without additional fuel and therefore making the facility more efficient.
-In addition to this, the exhaust gases after the heat recovery process finish with a low temperature, diminishing the environmental impact.
(See attached infographic).
The plant is located within the Sauce Viejo Industrial Park, where Central Puerto takes part also in other areas: safety and hygiene, human resources and nursing. The company also participated in the construction of the medical center that provides health assistance to all companies within the industrial park and the entire community. Central Puerto also donated IT equipment to different educational and security institutions.
About Central Puerto S.A.:
Central Puerto is the largest power generation company in Argentina. Operating 14 power plants with diversified technologies, employing more than 1,000 people and with a 16.2% market share thanks to its operational excellence and profitability. Its mission is to produce energy in an efficient and sustainable manner in harmony with the environment. At the same time, the company aims to supply demand and manage its business by generating value for all stakeholders. Currently, the Company has an installed capacity of more than 7,100 MW.
Contact Information:
Corporate Finance & IR Manager
Pablo Calderone
Tel: (+54 11) 4317 5000 Ext: 2519
Email: [email protected]
Investor Relations Website: https://investors.centralpuerto.com/
SOURCE: Central Puerto S.A.