Fluor Corporation has been awarded a $150 million EPC contract for reconstruction of the severely damaged combined cycle power train at the ISAB Energy IGCC, Priolo Gargallo, Sicily. The hope is to have the IGCC plant restored to full operation by mid 2010.
One of the 532 MW plant's two trains was damaged following an explosion and fire on 13 October 2008. The owners of the plant (ERG, 51%, International Power 34%, Mitsui 15%) have so far proved reluctant to release much detail of what happened but it would appear that at the time of the incident one train was shut down in a planned outage, while the other was operating. Syngas from the operating train got into the non-operating train and flowed through the gas turbine, exploding or igniting only when it mixed with air in the bigger volume of the HRSG. Fire from the HRSG then spread back into the gas turbine. Incomplete nitrogen purging of the non-operating train has been cited as a possible contributing factor.
The undamaged train, No 2, was returned to operation on 18 December 2008.
In March this year ISAB Energy announced it had reached an agreement with its insurers, Assicurazioni Generali, for the liquidation of damages relating to the 13 October accident. The agreement provides for overall damages of about Euro 280 million, with half to be paid by the end of 2009, "deemed to be sufficient to cover the reconstruction expenses for the plant."
The IGCC is located on the site of the ISAB refinery (owned 51% by ERG and 49% by Lukoil) and is fuelled with asphalt from the facility.
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