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Date of application November 2001

Output 550MW

Plant type Combined cycle

Location Escondido Research and Technology Centre,

California

Estimated investment $410m

Construction start 2004

Completed 2006

Key Data

Full specifications

The Escondido Research and Technology Centre (ERTC) and 550MW power plant covers

20 acres (8 hectares) of the associated 186-acre (75 hectare) business park. Sempra

cooperated with JRMC Real Estate on the project, which cost around $410m. The

natural gas is being sourced from the San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) Company.

This is another subsidiary of Sempra Energy Resources, which will eventually own the

plant.

The plant was built because California suffered massive power shortages in 2000, and

expected more severe problems in 2004–05.

There was trepidation as

private and state-owned

companies were unsure of

who would address this

problem, and the state was

unwilling to sponsor new –

especially fossil fuel-run –

facilities.

One of the companies

introducing new solutions

was Palomar Energy LLC, a

wholly owned subsidiary of

Sempra Energy Resources, at

a site north of San Diego.

The project formed part of

Sempra's $7bn contract with

the California Department of

Water Resources for 1,900MW. The plant was completed in 2006, and is planned to

operate for 30 years.

ESCONDIDO TIMESCALE

The idea for the new plant came about in May 2000 at the midst of the power

shortages, when it became apparent that the San Diego valley had an even higher

deficit than elsewhere. The generation plant had to be positioned centrally in the

load pocket of the power grid to ensure that transmission was possible. It also had to

be located near the SDG&E transmission lines to reduce disruption to the feedstock.

In November 2001, the application for construction and operation was filed at the

California Energy Commission (CEC). The CEC approved the application in February

2002, and plans and contracts continued throughout the year. Construction eventually

started in 2004, is continuing for 21 months, and was completed in 2006. The plant

generates enough power for approximately 550,000 homes.

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The California region

suffered massive shortages

of power in 2000.

 Expand Image

Sempra cooperated with

JRMC Real Estate on the

Escondido Research and

Technology Centre (ERTC)

and 550MW power plant.

 Expand Image

The reclaimed water comes

from the Hale Avenue

Resource Recovery Facility

Escondido Research and Technology Centre Power Plant, CA - Power Te... http://www.power-technology.com/projects/palomar/

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"The Escondido

plant generates

enough power

for

approximately

550,000 homes."

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EMISSION CONTROLS

The main pollutants from any CCGT are nitrogen oxides. The system used at the

Palomar plant only produces 2ppm (parts per million) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in

comparison to the 40ppm of plants 20 years ago. This is reduced through the use of a

selective catalytic reduction process using aqueous ammonia.

The carbon monoxide levels are 4ppm, which again is significantly lower than other

power plants in the US. Other controlled emissions include volatile organic

compounds, fine particle matter and sulphur dioxide.

WATER RECOVERY

The reclaimed water comes from the Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility through

a 1.1-mile, 16in (1.8km, 41cm) pipeline made of PVC. The reclaimed water is used in

the circulating systems, the heat generators, the coolers, potable water and in fire

protection. The plant uses around 3.6 million gal/day (10,000m3/day), and will have a

reserve storage tank of 730,000gal (2,800m3). Once the water has been used, the

brine water from the cooling tower blowdown is returned through an 8in (20cm) pipe.

The business park is owned by JRMC and will be quite near inhabited areas. The

company therefore lowered the gradation of the power generation plant and used the

fill to form a ridgeway between the residences and the park.

CGT POWER PLANT TECHNOLOGY

The system uses two single-shaft combustion gas turbines (CGT) with a hot exhaust of

over 1,100°C. The turbines are made by GE Power Systems and will have dry low NOx

combustors and evaporative inlet air coolers. The plant will also use natural gas duct

burners in the two heat recovery steam generators.

The thermal energy then generates steam, which runs through the steam-fired turbine

generator. The steam turbine generators are equipped with associated auxiliary

systems and equipment, including a steam admission system, generator coolers and

metal acoustical enclosures. The steam is evaporated through a 110ft (33m) plumeabated mechanical draft cooling tower.

PLUME ABATEMENT SYSTEM AND COOLING TOWER

Marley-SPX supplied a plume abatement system on the

mechanical draft cooling tower (GEA, Hamon, Balcke

Durr and Psychromatic also competed for the contract).

Sempra required the tower to have a design duty of

1,250MM Btu/hr; a water supply temperature of 90°F

(32°C); a water return temperature of 110°F (43°C); and

a maximum plume abatement design point of 52°F (11°C)

or 73% humidity.

FUEL SUPPLY AND USE

SDG&E has a natural gas pipeline located directly next to the plant, which will fuel it

until a 2,600ft (790m) segment has been built to relieve the bottleneck. SDG&E has

built the replacement 16in pipeline. It also has an existing transmission line adjacent

to the site that will connect to a 230kV switchyard that supplies power to the CTGs.

The fuel requirements for operation are between 3,444 and 3,803 million Btu/hr (1.0

to 1.1 million kWh). Prior to entering the CTG system, the gas will flow through a

pressure station, a quality flow meter, filtering equipment and two electric

compressors.

through a 1.8km, 41cm

pipeline made of PVC.

 Expand Image

The system uses two

heavy-duty single-shaft

combustion natural

gas-fired turbines with a

hot exhaust of over

1,100°C.

 Expand Image

Steam runs through the

steam-fired generator and

evaporated through a

plume-abated mechanical

draft cooling tower.

 Expand Image

A number of companies

were interested in

supplying cooling tower

technology equipment,

which had to meet a

number of technical

criterion.

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