Centrica has announced it will begin work next month on the installation of a new combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) at a mothballed power plant at King’s Lynn in Norfolk.
The 370MW project was the only new CCGT to win a contract in the most recent four-year-ahead (T-4) capacity market auction in December.
Up to 200 people will work on site during construction and around 30 permanent staff will be employed at the plant once it is up and running in 2019.
The turbine is being supplied and installed by Siemens, the boiler will be repowered by CMI and TEi will perform upgrades to the water steam cycle.
Merchant power director for Centrica’s distributed energy and power business Mark Futyan said: “It’s great to be starting work on site after such a long period of uncertainty for the team here at King’s Lynn.
“Once again, this power station will be able to play its part in helping to keep the lights on for hundreds of thousands of local people – no mean feat but one we’re ready to deliver.”
The CCGT plant was commissioned in 1997 and bought by Centrica in 2001 but was shut down in 2012 when it became uneconomic to run.
Several weeks ago CGen announced its intention to enter the 470MW Killingholme CCGT plant it is developing into the next T-4 capacity market auction.