The fourth 162-megawatt gas unit of Iran LNG Combined-Cycle Power Plant in Kangan County, Bushehr Province, has come on stream, with the fifth unit to become operational in a month.
The combined-cycle plant is being constructed in two phases, including five gas units, each with 162 megawatts in power generation capacity and two 160 MW steam units, the Energy Ministry’s news portal reported.
Iran LNG Power Plant, owned and financed by MAPNA, currently operates at an efficiency rate of 40%.
MAPNA is a group of companies involved in the development and execution of thermal and renewable power plants, oil, gas, rail transport and other industrial projects.
The last gas unit is expected to synchronize to the national power grid in a month, while the plant’s steam unit in the first phase, with a 160 MW production capacity, is slated to become operational in 2024.
A 400-kilovolt gas-insulated substation (GIS) will also come on stream in the power plant to deliver the plant's output to the power grid.
A GIS uses dielectric gas and sulfur hexaflouride at moderate pressure for insulation. It is mostly used where space is expensive or not available.
In a GIS, the active parts, including transformers and feeders, are protected from corrosion emanating from exposure to atmospheric air, moisture, contamination and sand.
The power station supplies Iran Liquefied Natural Gas Company at Tombak Port, 50 km north of Asalouyeh Port in Bushehr Province.
The Energy Ministry is gradually phasing out inefficient power plants, improving and expanding electricity infrastructure and acquiring modern technology.
Effective steps have been taken to convert conventional plants into combined-cycle units to improve efficiency and reduce pollution and costs.
In the past decade, the Turbine Engineering and Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of MAPNA Group, has manufactured over 300 gas and steam turbines with a nominal capacity of 32,000 MW.
