GE Energy To Supply 140 Turbines For Romanian Windfarms

GE Energy, a division of General Electric Company, will supply nearly 140 wind turbines for the Fantanele and Cogealac windfarm projects in Romania.

The projects signify the largest installation, in terms of power generation capacity, of GE's wind turbines in Europe to date.

In August 2008, power conglomerate CEZ Group bought the two adjacent windfarms in Constanta County from Continental Wind Partners LLC. When both windfarms are fully operational, the complex will have a power generation capacity of 600 megawatts (MW), making it nearly twice as large as the next largest European windfarm. CEZ is investing $1.4 billion in the project, aimed at helping Romania meet the European Union's requirements of increasing the share of renewable sources to 20% in the energy portfolio by 2020.

The first stage of the project will have an installed capacity of 347.5 MW and will use 139 GE 2.5xl turbines. Each turbine has a capacity of 2.5 MW, and a rotor diameter of 99 meters, and will stand 100 meters above ground level. Construction of this stage started in September 2008 and it is planned to be operational by the end of 2009.

The second stage, with a capacity of 252.5 MW, is planned to go on stream by the end of 2010.

The combined output will provide almost 10% of Romania's renewable energy. Current wind power generation in Romania is only 7 MW, which makes the project a significant milestone in wind energy production in Eastern Europe.

GE Energy is also supplying two 706-MW turbo generator units for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The firm will also supply supervisory control and data acquisition systems, monitoring equipment, and substation control systems for the Romanian power transmission network.

One of the firm's largest projects in Romania, besides the windfarm project, is its engagement with Metka Metal Constructions of Greece SA to develop an 860-MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant for Petrom SA in Brazi near Ploiesti. Petrom is 51% owned by OMV AG and is the largest corporation in Romania as well as the largest East European oil and gas producer.

GE Energy will supply two Frame 9FB gas turbines, the latest in the GE range of F-class turbines, in addition to a D11 steam turbine, two heat recovery steam generators, three hydrogen cooled generators, and an integrated control system for the CCGT plant. Metka will supply the remainder of the construction and engineering services for the plant, which will produce 6,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

Estimated costs for the Brazi power station are expected to be in the order of $600 million. The power plant is scheduled for commissioning in 2011. Petrom will use about 20% of the power produced for its own needs, while the remaining 80% will be supplied to the Romanian power grid.