APR Energy signs contract for peaking power plant in Australia

Power solutions company APR Energy recently announced a contract signature for a peaking power plant in Port Hedland, Pilbara, Western Australia. The power plant features four state-of-the-art GE TM2500+ dual-fuel turbines running on clean-burning natural gas.

Contracted with the end-user customer, Horizon Power, the plant will run for at least 30 months and will serve as a bridging solution until TransAlta Energy (Australia) develops a permanent power plant, due for completion in early 2017. The plant has been designed for extreme conditions in Western Australia, where temperatures can reach 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer, and can be rapidly expanded by an additional two aero-derivative turbines, as capacity requirements grow.

The contract replaces APR Energy's earlier agreement with Forge Group Power Party Limited (Forge), which was assumed as part of APR's acquisition of GE's power rental business. Following declaration of bankruptcy by Forge, Forge Group Limited, and a number of its other affiliated companies, its contract with APR Energy, and its rental contract with Horizon were terminated. APR's new contract has been signed directly with the end-use customer Horizon Power.

The project further expands APR Energy's track record, following successful projects in Japan, Cyprus, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Uruguay. It also has a growing presence in Asia Pacific, with a 410MW generation capacity in the region.

Horizon Power's Managing Director, Frank Tudor said APR Energy's turbine solutions were ideally suited for the company’s needs as a utility, offering a combination of reliability and low emissions in a dense power package.

Horizon Power, a state-owned utility, serves regional Western Australia, a region with growing power demand and the hub of Australia's extractive industry. Horizon serves more than 10,000 businesses and large industrial customers and more than 100,000 residents, across a range of 2.3 million square kilometres (888,000 square miles) – an area nearly 10 times the size of the United Kingdom.

Appreciating the company’s collaboration with Horizon Power, Laurence Anderson, APR Energy's Chief Executive Officer, said, “This project aligns with our goal to diversify our operational footprint with projects in developed markets and exemplifies the strong solution turbine technology provides for these customers."

Clive Turton, APR Energy's Managing Director of Asia Pacific said turbines were the most viable technology for utility customers needing large-scale, rapidly-deployed solutions that provide greater grid stability, low capital costs and low emissions.