Footprint Power selects Iberdrola for Salem CCGT plant

Iberdrola, through its engineering subsidiary, has been awarded the construction of a 674 MW combined cycle power plant (CCGT) in Salem, Massachusetts, USA.

The project, located some 30 kilometres from Boston, was awarded by Footprint Power, a U.S. project company specialising in the replacement of older and less efficient coal- and oil-fired plants with more efficient and modern power generation facilities.

The new quick-start plant will be built by Iberdrola Ingeniería, which will be in charge of the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the project, and will also undertake landscaping work once construction has been completed. The plant will use the technology developed by General Electric (GE), a company Iberdrola is working with to develop major projects in countries such as Qatar, Lithuania, Algeria, Kenya and Germany.

The commissioning of the Salem combined cycle power plant will enable cleaner electric power to be generated in the area and will contribute to reduce CO2 emissions. Another of the benefits of the project will be the freeing-up of space, since the new CCGT will occupy less than a third of the current site. The smaller gas plant will open areas of prime waterfront property to development, including a harborwalk, larger wharf, and expanded facilities for ferries, fishing vessels, and cruise ships.

In addition, the Salem combined cycle power plant will be the first high-performance facility in the world to incorporate GE’s Flex-efficiency design. This modern system, which seeks to redefine operational flexibility standards, includes enhanced gas turbines, steam turbines, generators and plant control systems that maximise the energy resources of power generation plants.