Gas-fired power plants

The project consists of the combined cycle conversion of DPP Los Mina Power Plant, one of the two gas-fired power plants indirectly owned by AES Corporation in the Dominican Republic, located in the urban area of Los Mina Sur, Santo Domingo Este, Municipality of Santo Domingo. The conversion essentially involves the addition of two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) and a 114 MW steam turbine generator (STG), to the existing 2 x 105 MW simple cycle natural gas-fired turbines, increasing DPP s generation capacity from 210 MW to 324 MW, without using additional gas (gas turbine s exhaust heat generates steam in a HRSG to power a steam turbine) and improving heat rate efficiency by 34%. The estimated project cost is US$ 260 million; the proposed IFC investment involves up to US$50 million A loan for its own account and a syndicated loan of up to US$25 million from IFC acting in its capacity as implementing entity for the Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program. The borrower will be DPP. The project will be designed and constructed through an EPC contract (Lump Sum Turnkey Contract). It will include the modification of the two existing Siemens simple cycle combustion turbine generators (Unit V and Unit VI with two stacks of 15 m height), commissioned in 1996, into a combined cycle plant. In addition to the two HRSGs and the STG, the project will include the installation of one condenser, one generator step-up transformer, one unit auxiliary transformer, one STG generator circuit breaker, a cooling tower, and the necessary associated equipment. The 2x2x1 configuration will require the installation of bypass stacks, which will only be operated as an emergency/back up option in the case the plant is in open cycle mode operation. The new stacks will be 45/54 meters high (to be defined during detailed engineering). The existing gas turbines were designed to operate with fuel oil and in 2003 were transformed to operate with natural gas. Since then, the turbines have exclusively operated on gas. Two fuel oil storage tanks (1,000,000 gallons each) and related facilities are maintained for potential future use; however, the storage tanks are currently empty. This condition will remain after the conversion and there are no plans to decommission the fuel storage tanks. Natural gas for the plant comes from AES Andres LNG terminal and regasification plant and it is transported through an existing 34 km long 12-inch diameter buried gas line, commissioned in 2003 and operated by AES Andres. The gas line is equipped with four remotely operated and secured block valve stations. Los Mina Units V and VI are connected to the transmission grid via overhead 138 kV transmission lines to an electrical substation and electrical switchyard operated by the local electrical transmission company ( ETED , Empresa de Transmisi n El ctrica Dominicana) located adjacent to the DPP generating facility. The combined cycle conversion project will require the installation of another generator step-up transformer that will be connected to the transmission grid through an expansion of the ETED switchyard within the brownfield site. The power plant is located on a 2.7 hectare (ha) plot of land, in an area classified for industrial use, approximately 700 meters east of the Ozama River. The project will require a brownfield expansion of the premises to a total 5.2 ha footprint, through the acquisition of two properties located immediately south of DPP property, previously owned by Itabo, an electrical company participated by AES Corporation, and by another corporation. The project site is bordered by ETED s electrical substation / switchyard and by Venezuela Avenue which separates the site from two residential areas (Barrio Las Enfermeras and Barrio La Isla) located further to the west.

Dominican Republic