A new natural gas-fired combined-cycle (NGCC) power plant is being constructed and engineered by Fluor in Citrus County, Florida, US, for Duke Energy Florida (DEF), which will also be the operator of the plant.
The new power plant will occupy 400 acres of land near Crystal River in Citrus County and be located in close proximity to the Crystal River Energy Complex, which is also operated by DEF.
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With a total capacity of 1,640MW, the plant is expected to provide electricity to approximately 1.7 million customers. It is expected to employ up to 700 people during construction and will create up to 75 permanent jobs during operation.
Once complete, the plant will be the second biggest generator for DEF.
Project background and construction details
The plans to build the combined-cycle power plant were announced by DEF in May 2014 and a petition to determine the need for the project was filed with Florida Public Service Commission in the same month.
The project received approval from the commission and Fluor was finalised as the construction contractor in October 2014.
The project received all regulatory approvals and permits, including site certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, need determination from the Florida Public Service Commission, wetlands permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers and others, by September 2015.
The plant’s construction began with a ground breaking ceremony held at the Crystal River Energy Complex in March 2016, while operations are expected to begin in 2018.
The plant will receive natural gas from a new natural gas pipeline called Sabal Trail Transmission, which is being constructed to provide clean and affordable natural gas to Florida.
The project will also involve participation of local suppliers for providing backfill foundation material, dump trucks, fencing and other materials.
Citrus County combined-cycle power plant make-up
The plant will include two identical power blocks, each capable of producing 820MW of power. The first unit is expected to begin operations in mid-2018, whereas the second unit is expected to be operational by December that year.
Each unit of the plant will feature two Mitsubishi Model 501GAC combustible turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators, which will be equipped with duct burners, and a steam turbine generator in a two-on-one configuration.
Each unit will also contain one fuel gas dew point heater with a capacity of 11.2 million British thermal units an hour (MMBtu/hr) along with an auxiliary steam boiler with a capacity of 216.2MMBtu/h.
The units will also be equipped with one 1,500kW diesel-fired emergency generator each. Both units will be served by one diesel-fired emergency firewater pump with a power rating of 575hp.
Sustainable features of the plant
The combustible turbine generators of the plant will operate on a low NOx combustion technology.
Since the generators will utilise pipeline-quality natural gas for their functioning, particulate matter and H₂SO₄ air emissions are expected to be minimal, making the plant environment-friendly.
The plant will utilise less than the permitted amount of groundwater resources, being located near a river.
