Carlton Power, an independent power station developer, and General Electric International (GE) have signed two agreements to help pave the way for investment of more than £2bn and more than 3GW of new gas-fired generation capacity in the UK before the end of 2020.
A consortium of GE and two Spanish partners, Tecnicas Reunidas and Ferrovial Agroman, have been selected by Carlton Power as the main engineering contractor (EPC) for the consented Trafford power project near Manchester, UK..
Carlton Power has also signed an agreement to acquire GE’s stake in the 1500MW Thorpe Marsh gas-fired power station project, near Doncaster, UK.
The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) consented the Thorpe Marsh power plant in 2011.
Both the projects, which will provide additional power generation for the UK upon entering service in 2018/2019, will be included in the DECC’s Capacity Market Auction for bids, scheduled for December 2014.
Carlton Power managing director Keith Clarke said: "We hope to break ground at Trafford before May of next year and Thorpe Marsh soon after."
The Trafford and Thorpe Marsh power plants, which will feature 9HA.01 gas turbines, are expected to reach efficiency approaching 61% based on site conditions.
GE Power & Water power generation products president and CEO Victor Abate said: "Our 9HA Gas Turbines provide the highest efficiency in the industry, along with the operational flexibility needed to start fast, ramp up more quickly and turndown more efficiently than any other H-class turbine on the market today.
"This translates into utilities being able to deliver power quickly when it is needed and to ramp down when it is not."