Siemens wins steam turbine orders for solar plants in India

Siemens Energy recently won three orders by different customers to supply a total of four steam turbine generator units for solar thermal power plants in Rajasthan, India. The steam turbines of type SST-700, with a rated output of up to 175 MW, are intended for the Godawari, Abhijeet and Diwakar & KVK parabolic trough power plants. With a total rating of 300 MW, these plants will contribute to India's growing electricity demand from solar power when they go online in 2013.

All four power plant projects in Rajasthan are being constructed as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the Indian government's ongoing program for promoting solar power. The program envisages installing up to 20 gigawatts of solar power capacity in India by the year 2022.

The parabolic trough power plants Godawari owned by Godawari Green Energy Ltd. and Abhijeet owned by Corporate Ispat Alloys Ltd. are each rated at 50 MW. Siemens has been awarded contracts for an SST-700 steam turbine generator unit and auxiliary systems for each of these units. The third customer, Lanco Solar Energy, has ordered a steam turbine and generator rated at 100 MW, complete with auxiliary systems for each of the two units of the Diwakar & KVK parabolic trough power plant.

The SST-700 type of turbine is particularly suitable for use in solar thermal power plants, because it can be run up and down quickly to respond rapidly to the fluctuating service conditions typical of these plants. In addition, superheating the steam improves the efficiency of the turbines and thus of the power plant as a whole.