Renewable Energy and Co-Generation continued

Ergon Energy - Isis Central Sugar Mill Co-Generation Power Station (Childers, Queensland)

The decision to undertake the entire project was prompted not only by the success of similar generation control projects within various industries (as outlined below), but by the confidence that we had the right expertise within our Projects & Construction team to undertake a project of this size, further involving mechanical and electrical disciplines, and construction and project management.

i.power solutions role as Principal Contractor encompassed the design, manufacture, supply, procurement, erection, installation and commissioning of the entire project, utilizing some major items of free issue equipment:

25MW steam turbine, gearbox, generator and condenser Forced-draft, 6-cell mechanical cooling tower Cooling water pumps and all water and steam pipe reticulation Turbine building complete with 10-tonne overhead crane Switchrooms including 415V motor control centre and 11kV switchboard Entire control and monitoring systems including governing and excitation systems Station services, earthing and interconnecting transformers Civil construction works including bulk earthworks and land reclamation, piling and foundations for all plant and the 11/66kV grid connection switchyard All electrical and mechanical design including 3-D modeling of cooling tower, turbine-generator assembly, piping and equipment.

FACTS The power plant will use excess steam produced through the combustion of sugar cane residue (bagasse) at the Isis Mill to drive its power turbine and has been designed and constructed with due consideration to reliability, the latest technology and environmental management. When utilised to full capacity, the plant is expected to generate about 65,000MWh of green energy in a season. With 30% used to run the sugar mill, the remainder when exported to the QLD electricity grid will be sufficient to power 7,000 homes as well as improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply to Childers and surrounding areas. The new plant is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50,000 tonnes every year; equivalent to taking more than 10,000 cars off the road. The Isis Co-Generation Power Station was completed on time in June 2006, with no disruption to mill startup.

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