Mitsubishi Power J-series gas turbine commissioned in major Thailand power project

Thailand CCGT plant has first M701JAC gas turbine in operation.[/caption]

Mitsubishi Power's first M701JAC series gas turbine in Southeast Asia is officially commissioned and in operation at a new gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Thailand.  The turbine is a core piece of a project to build two natural gas-fired power plants in the country.

The project is part of a joint venture between Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, one of Thailand’s largest independent power producers (IPP), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. The M701JAC is the first of eight units ordered on a full-turnkey basis in 2018 and is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. These eight units will comprise gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) systems with a total output of 5,300 megawatts (MW). A 25-year long-term service agreement (LTSA) for these units is also in effect. The construction of the remaining seven units have commenced and are scheduled for full launch of commercial operations in 2024.

The two ultra-large-scale power plants are under construction in Chonburi and Rayong Provinces, approximately 130 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Each plant will have an output of 2,650MW and use natural gas as its primary fuel source, along with four power trains each incorporating a gas turbine, steam turbine, heat recovery steam generator and generator. Mitsubishi Power will manufacture and supply the gas and steam turbines as well as ancillary equipment, while Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will provide the generators. The power generated will be sold to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to support providing the country with a reliable and highly efficient source of clean energy.

The newly inaugurated M701JAC is a core component of the power plant in Chonburi Province, which is operated by Gulf SRC Company Limited(Note). At a time when the global coronavirus pandemic is impacting equipment deliveries and installations as a whole due to logistical issues and difficulty in sending engineers to project sites, operation of the first gas turbine unit is on schedule thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties involved.