Doosan Power Systems and French industrial maintenance specialist Groupe ADF have officially entered an 18-month partnership following the recent award of the major biomass conversion and turbine upgrade project at E.ON's coal-fired Provence power plant in Gardanne, France. Under a recently signed contract agreement, Doosan will provide the technology and project leadership while ADF, as principal subcontractor to Doosan, will be responsible for the assembly of all new equipment at the site. The partnership follows more than 12 months' collaboration during the FEED (Front End Engineering & Design) study and bid preparation phases, and will provide a valuable boost to the local economy.
The project will create France's largest biomass-fired power plant to date. Generating electricity from the combustion of wood, it will provide 150 MW of power with base production of more than 7500 hours per year until 2034, corresponding a reduction in the CO2 balance of 600 000 tons per year.
Conversion works began this summer with scheduled first firing in autumn 2014 and start-up operations commencing early 2015. To meet this demanding schedule, the project will employ an average of 200 people over 18 months.
The Gardanne conversion will be led by Doosan Babcock, with project management expertise supplied by Germany-based CFB specialist Doosan Lentjes, which supplied the original CFB technology and key components for the plant in 1992. At the same time, the company's turbine specialist, Doosan Škoda Power, will replace the inner steam path of the existing steam turbine to match the new output and enhance plant efficiency. Life-time extension works will be undertaken by Doosan Babcock on the remaining equipment to give it a new life for a further 20 years.
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