The Cricket Valley Energy Center is a 1.1GW combined-cycle power plant under development in Dover, New York, US. Cricket Valley Energy Center LLC, an affiliate of Advanced Power, is developing the project, which will use natural gas as fuel.
Estimated to cost $1.58bn, the project is expected to be the cleanest and the most efficient power generation facility in the US.
Construction of the CCPP began with the ground-breaking ceremony in June 2017 and is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2020.
The project will produce enough electricity to power up to one million homes in the Hudson Valley. It is expected to create 1,100 jobs during the construction phase and 80 operational jobs.
Project Gallery
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Ground-breaking ceremony for the Cricket Valley power project was held in January 2017. Image courtesy of the Town of Dover, NY.
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The 1.1GW combined-cycle power plant comprises three GE 7F.05 gas turbines in addition to steam turbines and heat recovery steam generators. Image courtesy of the Town of Dover, NY.
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The project construction is expected to create approximately 1,100 jobs. Image courtesy of the Town of Dover, NY.
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Cricket Valley Energy Center LLC, an affiliate of Advanced Power, is the project developer. Image courtesy of the Town of Dover, NY.
Cricket Valley Energy Center location
The Cricket Valley Energy Center site is located at an abandoned industrial site in Dover and extends in more than 193 acres.
The project is in close proximity to existing energy infrastructure facilities such as Con Edison’s 345kV transmission line and the Iroquois natural gas pipeline.
Cricket Valley Energy Center make-up
The Cricket Valley power plant comprises three sets of GE 7F.05 gas turbines and steam turbines along with heat recovery steam generators (HRSG).
Auxiliary equipment will comprise a low nitrogen oxide (NOx) natural gas-fired auxiliary boiler, which will be used to keep the HRSGs warm during periods of turbine shutdown.
NOx (DLN) burners and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology will be used to control the NOx emissions, while an oxidation catalyst will be used to control carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions.
Transmission and sale of power generated at Cricket Valley Energy Center
The entire electricity generated at the Cricket Valley power plant will be sold to the energy market of New York Independent System Operator (NYISO). A new switchyard and substation, equipped with gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), is being installed at the plant site for the same.
Power will be transmitted to the existing ConEd 345kV Line 398 transmission line through a 15 mile-long, 345kV transmission line.
Natural supply gas to Cricket Valley power plant
Iroquois natural gas pipeline will supply the required gas for the Cricket Valley combined-cycle power plant through a 500ft-long pipeline.
Financing of Cricket Valley Energy Center
The $1.58bn combined-cycle power plant is being financed through a combination of equity and debt facilities.
The equity portion of $709m is being provided by JERA, TIAA Investments, Advanced Power AG, BlackRock Financial Management, Development Bank of Japan, and NongHyup Financial Group.
Debt financing of $875m is being provided by a group of companies including GE Energy Financial Services, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Bank of America, CIT BANK, Industrial Bank of Korea, and Shinhan Bank.
Other parties involved in the debt financing include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, NongHyup Financial Group, National Australia Bank, Siemens Financial Services, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
Contractors involved
Bechtel was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the combined-cycle power project.
General Electric (GE) is the supplier of the steam turbines, HRSGs, gas turbines, and other ancillary equipment.
MJ Electric was awarded the EPC contract for the construction of the new 345kV overhead transmission line connecting to Con Edison’s network.