RWE npower has signed contracts for a multi-million pound project which should cut carbon dioxide emissions from its Little Barford power station by around 40 000 tonnes a year. 

The £100 million programme of investment to improve the efficiency, reliability and environmental performance of the station in Cambridgeshire, UK, will see major equipment upgraded including the station’s two existing gas turbines.

The upgrade to Little Barford, now in its fourteenth year of commercial operation, will also increase the station’s maximum net capacity to around 700 MW. 
The upgrade to the gas turbines will be carried out by GE. Magued Eldaief, GE Energy’s Managing Director, UK, said:

“As part of this upgrade, we are excited to be providing our latest gas turbine technology which will enable Little Barford power station to deliver energy more cleanly and efficiently to its customers.  This important project further strengthens the relationship between RWE npower and GE Energy in the UK.”

To support the running of the station’s upgraded turbines, which are expected to be in commercial operation by the third quarter of 2012, Little Barford’s control system will also be upgraded.

The combined cycle gas turbine 680 MEe power station .began operating in 1996 and is fuelled by natural gas. It has one generating module, consisting of two gas turbines and one steam turbine