The Sun Ba II power plant is a 1.1GW combined-cycle gas-fired power station being developed in Shanshang, Tainan, Taiwan.

Sun Ba Power Corporation, an independent power producer company based in Taiwan, is the owner and developer of the project. The company also owns and operates the existing 980MW Sun Ba gas-fired combined-cycle power plant, also known as the Fong Der power station, that has been operational since 2004.

Sun Ba Power was established in August 2000 with Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation (TCC) as its majority shareholder (43%). The other investors in the company include Taiwan Sugar Corporation, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), China Development Industrial Bank (CDIB), Taiwan’s Mega International Commercial Bank (Mega ICBC), Japan-based Summit Global Management II, and Taiwan-based Ta Ya Electric Wire and Cable.

The key contracts for the Sun Ba II combined-cycle power plant were awarded in September 2021, with commissioning expected in the middle of 2024.

The new plant will be equipped with one of the most efficient gas turbines in the region and complement Taiwan’s energy transition plan to move away from the reliance on coal and nuclear power to low-emitting, flexible gas-fired power generation, and other renewable power sources.

Location and site details

The Sun Ba II gas-fired combined-cycle power plant will be built near the existing Fong Der power station located in the Shanshang Township, Tainan County, in south-western Taiwan.

Sun Ba II power plant make-up

Sun Ba II will be a multi-shaft combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) equipped with two SGT6-9000HL gas turbines, one SST-5000 steam turbine, three SGen6-2000P generators, two heat recovery steam generators, and the SPPA-T3000 control system from Siemens.

SGT6-9000HL represents Siemens Energy’s latest gas turbine technology featuring an air-cooled, four-stage turbine design with an advanced can-annular combustion system. The gas turbine provides a combined-cycle efficiency of more than 64% and allows for greater operational flexibility with faster start-up capability at a ramp-up rate of 85MW/min.

The Sun Ba II CCPP will use regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) for power generation.

Contractors involved in the Sun Ba II gas-fired power project

Siemens Energy, in consortium with CTCI Corporation, was selected as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the Sun Ba II power plant in September 2021.

Siemens Energy will be responsible for the design, manufacturing, and supply of gas and steam turbines along with the generators and control systems. The contractual scope also includes a 25-year long-term service for all core equipment along with an option for providing digital service solutions for the plant.

CTCI Corporation will be responsible for the plant construction as well as the entire balance-of-plant (BOP) works of the project.

Fong Der gas-fired combined-cycle power plant details

The existing Sun Ba power plant comprises two 490MW gas-fired combined-cycle units, each equipped with two Mitsubishi M501F gas turbines and a steam turbine.

Hong Kuen Industrial, an engineering and construction company based in Taiwan, was engaged in installing the steam turbines of the plant.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) is responsible for the maintenance of the gas turbines under a service agreement that was signed in June 2002 and renewed further in April 2008 and November 2014.

Other components of the Fong Der power plant include air-cooled condensers (ACC), a boiler feedwater system, a raw water tank, and a water demineralisation facility, in addition to other auxiliary facilities.

The electricity generated by the plant is sold to Taiwan Power Company (TPC) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).