Ansaldo gas turbines power South African plant

The Consortium set up by lead company Ansaldo Energia with Fata (Danieli Group) has successfully completed the construction of the second electric power plant in South Africa located in Avon, near Durban. The plant, which recently received official acceptance from the Customer, forms part of the “Peakers Project”, initiative promoted by the South African Energy Ministry and assigned to a Consortium led by Engie as Independent Power Producer.

Ansaldo Energia and Fata, in the framework of this project and following an invitation to tender, have been awarded the contract to build two electric power plants on a turnkey basis, fitted with gas turbines and generators produced by Ansaldo Energia. The two contracts are worth a total €420m.

Power is generated at the Dedisa and Avon plants respectively by two and four Ansaldo Energia gas turbines in open cycle configuration and fired using fuel oil. Both plants are prepared for a possible future conversion to combined cycle and to natural gas, as part of the government’s planned introduction of natural gas to South Africa.

In September 2015, the first of the two plants, the 342 MW Dedisa plant in Port Elizabeth, entered full commercial service and less than a year later the second 685 MW Avon plant also came online.

Ansaldo Energia was also awarded the contract to maintain the gas turbines for a period of fifteen years.