The contract covers four natural gas fuelled combined cycle blocks (units 3 to 6 at the site), with a total of eight gas turbines. The aim of the renovation project is to reduce emissions of NOx while maintaining generating capacity, allowing the plant to comply with increasingly tight environmental regulations, as well as to enhance operating flexibility via O&M improvements. Completion is scheduled for 2025.
The Datan power plant has a total of 20 gas turbines (including those in units 8 and 9, currently under construction), and is one of the largest natural gas fired power plants in Taiwan. Once all units are completed and operational, the plant will have a total combined installed capacity of about 7000 MW. Mitsubishi Power has supplied 14 of the gas turbines, for units 1-6. Units 1-2 employ six M501F machines, while the remaining eight are M501G gas turbines. It is these M501G machines that will be progressively upgraded under the new contracts with Mitsubishi Power.
To reduce NOx emissions, the current combustors will be replaced with air-cooled, premix combustors, which lower local combustion temperatures and curb NOx generation, decreasing NOx emissions by around 60%.
At the same time, Mitsubishi Power will install new gas turbine components along with the TOMONI digital platform with the aim of increasing operational flexibility while maintaining high generating capacity.
Taiwan continues to face a tight power supply/ demand situation, Mitsubishi Power notes, with producers unable to keep up with robust demand. The country needs to increase its capacity margin and high expectations have long been attached to gas fired power generation. Taiwan has adopted an energy policy that includes abolishing nuclear power by 2025, with 50% of electricity coming from gas fuelled combined cycle power plants, 30% from coal, and 20% from renewables. At the same time, there are increasing calls to reduce environmental impacts, requiring lower NOx emissions and increased power plant efficiency.
