South Texas Electric Cooperative has contracted with Wärtsilä to supply a 225 MW flexible power plant in Hidalgo County.
STEC is calling it the Red Gate power plant and it is scheduled to be in operation by the summer of 2014. The plant will be powered by 12 Wärtsilä 50SG engines running on natural gas. The total output of the plant will be 225 MW and will help STEC to meet the growing demand for electricity in South Texas.
STEC Power Plant in Pearsall, TX
“Wärtsilä engine technology has proven to be very effective at meeting the challenges of a dynamic ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) market. We see continued value in investments in flexible, efficient combustion engines to serve the needs of our member cooperatives, and we are very pleased to work with Wärtsilä on our Red Gate Power Project,” says John Packard, Manager of Generation, South Texas Electric Cooperative.
Wartsila Natural Gas Combustion Engine
The new Red Gate power plant is designed to meet BACT (Best Available Control Technology) pollution standards as mandated by the United States Clean Air Act. The high efficiency of the Wärtsilä combustion engine technology results in fewer emissions of CO2 than simple cycle gas turbine solutions. One of the benefits of the Wärtsilä 50SG engine is that its high simple cycle efficiency is achieved with minimal water consumption.
“In today’s power generation market, flexibility, quick start-up capability, superior load following and low water consumption are essential factors, and these were important considerations in the award of this valuable contract. Furthermore, the high level of engine efficiency means that the lifecycle costs of the Wärtsilä solution are very favourable,” says Wayne Elmore, Regional Director, Power Plants Sales, Wärtsilä North America.
See the Wartsila press release at: http://www.wartsila.com/en/press-releases/wartsila-to-supply-225-mw-flexible-power-plant-to-texas-utility
