BrightSource Energy Selects Siemens Energy Products

Utility-scale solar thermal energy plant developer, BrightSource Energy, has ordered two steam turbine-generators and an SPPA-T3000 instrumentation & controls (I&C) system from Siemens Energy for the Ivanpah solar thermal energy facility situated in the Mojave desert, California.

Siemens will deliver the SPPA-T3000 to Ivanpah project’s all three units. The total capacity of the project is about 400 MW. Ivanpah project is the first utility-scale solar thermal energy facility to use the SPPA-T3000. Siemens will also execute the connection to an asset management system. The client will obtain I&C controls from one source with constant transitions between I&C for the ancillary systems and that of the turbine. This will decrease the needs of staff training and related operating and maintenance expenditures for the customers.

Siemens will also deliver two generators and two steam turbines of capacity 133 MW for the Units II and III of the project. The Units II and III have a capacity of 126 MW and 133 MW, respectively. The turbine’s quick startup and shutdown functionality and its ability to trace the corresponding operating conditions of solar thermal power facilities make it suitable for such plants. The company will supply the two turbines for Units II and III during the summer of 2012. The production of Units II and III is slated for 2013. The plant will produce green power to meet the demands of 140,000 homes and will reduce up to 400,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.