Astoria Generating Company and Siemens have signed a contract for the turnkey construction of two 300 MW SeaFloat power barges powered by eight Siemens SGT-A65 gas turbines.
The new barges will replace four-existing barges at the Gowanus station. Originally installed in the early 1970s, the 640 MW station is approaching the end of its service life. The new barges will also enable Astoria Generating Company to retire two barges at the nearby Narrows Generating Station.
Retrofitting the station with SGT-A65 gas turbines and generators will improve the plants’ power generating efficiency by nearly 50% while reducing potential emissions of pollutants like carbon dioxide and monoxide –using the existing gas infrastructure.
Siemens will deliver eight SGT-A65 gas turbine generating sets – four on each barge – along with a Siemens control system. The turbines will run on natural gas as their primary fuel.
The 60-Hz SGT-A65 (Industrial Trent 60) aeroderivative gas turbine is ISO rated at 70.8 MW gross baseload output and 41.4% simple cycle efficiency equipped with inlet spray intercooling (wet compression water to the compressor inlet for power augmentation).
For peaking dispatch, the A65 gensets can reach full power output in less than 7 minutes of a cold start. With combustion water injection for wet low emissions (WLE) operation, NOx emissions on natural gas fuel can be limited to under 25 ppmvd.
Siemens and Astoria also signed a contract for a 20-year long-term service agreement that will help support the gas turbines’ and generators’ optimal operating efficiency.
