Duke Energy and Siemens have forged an innovative agreement for deploying advanced gas turbine technologies at the former’s Lincoln County Combustion Turbine (LCCT) generation site in North Carolina, US.

In this regard, the American utility Duke Energy has proposed expansion of Lincoln County Combustion Turbine (LCCT) generation site and has submitted plans for the same to the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC).

For the project, German manufacturer Siemens has been selected as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the expansion project. Siemens will also supply the advanced gas turbine unit for LCCT under the agreement with Duke Energy.

According to Duke Energy, the proposed advanced gas turbine unit manufactured by Siemens at its Charlotte Energy Hub is expected to be 25% more efficient than the present Lincoln County turbines.

Duke Energy North Carolina president David Fountain said: "This unique arrangement with Siemens offers a significant cost savings to our customers while providing one of the most advanced, efficient gas turbine units in the U.S.

"This new technology will provide us with flexible peaking power needed to complement intermittent solar energy resources for our customers and lower emissions across our fleet."

Construction relating to LCCT’s expansion is likely to begin as early as mid-2018, subject to regulatory approval. Duke Energy stated that gas turbine testing will commence on its 746-acre site near Denver in 2020.

Siemens Power and Gas Division CEO Willi Meixner said: "Our cooperation with Duke Energy is a very important step in our roadmap to further drive the efficiency of natural gas generation.

"In addition to meeting the needs of Duke Energy customers, the proposed project supports jobs and the Carolina economy."

Currently, the Duke Energy’s LCCT site is home to 16 simple-cycle combustion turbines that are fueled by gas, and have a capacity to generate 1.2GW during short periods when power consumption is at its peak.

Completed in 1995, the Lincoln County site with infrastructure like access to natural gas and transmission connections is suitable for expansion, stated Duke Energy.