Emerson wins $21 million contact to modernise Europe’s largest thermal power plant

Emerson Process Management, a global business of Emerson, has been awarded a $21 million contract to modernise control and monitoring systems and electrical systems on Unit 2 of the Belchatów power plant in Poland.

Owned by PGE Górnictwo I Energetyka Konwencjonalna SA, the 13-unit, 5,354-megawatt Belchatów plant produces nearly 20 per cent of the power generated in Poland. It is Europe’s largest thermal power plant and the largest lignite-fired plant in the world.

Updating the 370-megawatt Unit 2 is part of a major reconstruction and modernisation programme to extend the life of the plant by boosting efficiency and reliability, reducing emissions, and enhancing its ability to meet demand from the national electrical grid.

Emerson will serve as both main automation contractor and main electrical contractor, responsible for updating the unit’s instrumentation, control and electrical subsystems. Automation technologies will include Emerson’s Ovation™ expert control system, Rosemount® wireless measurement and analytical equipment, AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, and CSI Monitor for turbine vibration analysis. Emerson will also perform upgrade services on the generator, transformers, feeder ducts, switchgear and other electrical subsystems.

This is the eleventh Belchatów unit that Emerson has been selected to help modernise. Units 3-8 are complete, and work on units 9-12 will continue through 2016. The Unit 2 overhaul will occur in 2016 with an expected return to service in 2017.

Emerson’s offer was chosen by PGE according to Polish public procurement law.

“We’re gratified by the trust and confidence which has been placed once again in Emerson’s technology and expertise,” said Emerson Process Management President Steve Sonnenberg. “It also speaks volumes about our ability to consistently execute complex projects and deliver maximum return on investment for our customers.”