Under the contract, Mitsubishi will supply two M501J turbines, each with 327MW capacity, and generators for the natural gas-fueled power plant, which is planned to be built in South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County.
MHPSA president & CEO Paul Browning said: "In commercial operation since 2011, our best-in-class turbine provides a combined cycle efficiency approaching 62% and proven reliability in excess of 99%.
"No other gas turbine in this 300MW+ size range has even a single hour of commercial operating experience."
The contract also includes a long-term service agreement.
Tenaska engineering and construction senior vice-president Nick Borman said: "The industry-leading efficiency and reliability and five year commercial operating track record of the J-series, combined with Tenaska’s expertise in power generation facilities, will help ensure Tenaska Westmoreland is a safe, efficient and reliable power plant."
Meanwhile, Tenaska said it has secured nearly $780m in financing for gas-fired fired power plant project, which will be built, owned, and operated by a Tenaska affiliate Tenaska Pennsylvania Partners.
Designed to generate electricity required to power about 925,000 homes, the Westmoreland plant is expected to help in setting a new cost of electricity (COE) standard for the PJM region upon completion.
Black & Veatch is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.
Construction on the natural gas-fired facility has commenced earlier this year, with commercial operation targeted for 2018.
Image: A Mitsubishi-built M501J gas turbine. Photo: courtesy of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI).
