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Emerson to automate six combined cycle gas turbines in Europe

03/26/2009

PITTSBURGH -- March 26, 2009 — Emerson Process Management announced today that it has been awarded the contract by energy company EDF to automate six new Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) units with its PlantWeb digital plant architecture. The new installations, located in West Burton in the U.K., and the towns of Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson and Martigues in France, will enable EDF to satisfy future energy supply requirements and meet its climate commitment.

Emerson’s comprehensive PlantWeb solution includes deployment of the Ovation expert control system with HART communications to monitor and control the heat recovery steam generator, as well as the burner management system (for Martigues), and balance-of-plant processes. The Ovation system will also integrate the turbine control system and perform data acquisition, including sequence of events.

CCGT power generation is the most energy-efficient and clean method of fossil fuel generation. CCGT plants burn natural gas, which turns a gas turbine with the waste heat used to turn a steam turbine. CCGT plants can be started in a matter of minutes making them ideal for matching changes in consumption.

“At EDF we are looking to provide modern and efficient power generation that is responsive and flexible to the demand for electricity,” said Mr. Bernard Bergerot, CCGT projects strategic director within EDF’s Thermal Engineering Department.

“Emerson’s considerable execution expertise in worldwide electricity generation applications makes us a low risk partner for these significant projects,” said Bob Yeager, president of the Power & Water Solutions division of Emerson. “We are extremely pleased to be able to work with EDF to maximize efficiency of all six units.”

As part of its comprehensive automation and control solution, Emerson will also supply a high-fidelity Scenario simulator used to assist with start-up and for training operators. Configured using control logic identical to that of the plant, high-fidelity simulators offer a realistic training and engineering environment. In addition to training EDF operators on the new Ovation system, Emerson’s simulation solution will be used to test and verify control logic and for unit check-out prior to the plant’s synchronization to the grid.

Emerson will also apply AMS Suite predictive maintenance software to all sites, which will be used to streamline device configuration and commissioning. AMS Suite will also provide online access to instrument and valve diagnostics and automatic documentation of all field device maintenance information.

Emerson’s PlantWeb architecture will make extensive use of HART Communications to connect the I/O. IEC 61850 modules will interface to Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) used within the switchyard. Emerson will integrate the GE Mark VI Turbine control systems into Ovation via the GE-specific GSM protocol.

Emerson’s Ovation SIS (Safety Instrumented System), part of Emerson’s smart SIS offering, will be used to provide SIL3 protection for the burner management systems and boilers. Complying with the stringent international standard IEC 61511, Ovation SIS employs digital intelligence and diagnostics to take an integrated complete safety loop approach which increases process availability, reduces life-cycle costs and eases regulatory compliance.

EDF is constructing a new 1,300-MW power station at its existing West Burton site, located in Nottinghamshire, U.K. Comprising three 430-MW CCGT units, the new plant will stand next to EDF’s 2000-MW, coal-fired power station. Once completed the new CCGT unit will supply enough power for around 1.5 million homes. The power station will be ready for commercial operation in 2011.

The 430-MW power plant at Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson is to be the first CCGT unit built by EDF in France and will provide the Lorraine area, in the northeast of France, with a modern means of power generation that is powerful, reactive and flexible to the changing demand. The new plant is expected to perform at 57% efficiency, and is expected to be complete by 2011. At the existing EDF plant at Martigues in the south of France, the oil-fueled power station is being transformed into two new 480-MW CCGT units, completion of which is expected by 2012.

EDF is currently looking at adding Emerson’s SmartProcess optimization software including the Global Performance Advisor module that reduces operating costs by tracking unit heat rate penalty costs and indicating any losses due to equipment performance deviations from design.