German utility RWE has awarded a EUR500 million contract to supply the supercritical boilers for a new bituminous coal fired power plant at Hamm, Westphalia, to Alstom.
The two boilers for the 1600 MW plant will be designed to be among the cleanest and most efficient in the world, achieving cycle efficiencies of around 46 per cent and reducing emissions of carbon, NOx and SOx compared with existing coal fired power plants in the country.
The Hamm power plant is expected to enter service in 2011 and will play a key role in the replacement of Germany’s ageing power plant fleet. In March the Arnsberg regional government gave consent for the EUR2 billion plant, which will be made carbon capture-ready.
RWE has enlisted the support of 23 regional utilities to develop the project. The utilities have formed a co-operative known as GEKKO (Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Steinkohle) and will hold a 350 MW share in the plant in an effort to reduce exposure to market prices.
The boilers for the Hamm plant will reach steam temperatures of 600°C and will reduce emissions of CO2 by about one-third compared to existing coal units.
“At Hamm we are erecting one of the most advanced bituminous coal-fired twin unit plants worldwide that – compared with old units – helps save some 2.5 million tons of CO2 annually while generating the same power,” said Dr. Johannes Lambertz, CEO of RWE Power AG.
