Senoko sets aside S$50mil for power plant upgrade

SENOKO Power, which supplies about a third of Singapore’s electricity, is spending more than S$50mil to upgrade its gas-fired power plants. 

The move would lower electricity generating costs and make the plants more environmentally friendly, the Singapore Straits Times reported. 

Senoko has signed a deal with German industrial group Siemens to extend the life of four gas-fired turbines used in its modern combined cycle plants (CCPs). The plants can generate 850 MW of electricity. 

The upgrading project would take two years to complete and could extend the life of the gas turbines by 12 years, Senoko chief executive Roy Adair said at a press conference. 

He also said the life extension project was necessary because “the gas turbine blades have reached the end of their design life.'' 

The four gas turbines, originally installed by Siemens, have been in operation since 1990. 

Adair said it was cheaper to upgrade the turbines than to build a new combined cycle plant – which may cost twice as much. 

He also reckoned that the cost-savings from the upgraded turbines would eventually be passed on to consumers. 

Senoko, which operates a combination of CCPs and steam-powered plants, said it was expanding its total combined capacity to 3,300 MW, from 2,670 MW, by the end of the year. 

This will make it Singapore’s largest electricity producer. The other two power-generating companies here are PowerSeraya and Tuas Power.

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