Patent ID: 8887481

Claim:
A method for starting a combined cycle power plant having a gas turbine unit and a steam turbine unit, the steam turbine unit having a steam turbine with a rotor and a control valve upstream of the rotor, the method comprising: loading the gas turbine unit; determining a starting temperature (T start ) for the steam supplied to the steam turbine; regulating the control valve from a closed position to an open position to admit steam into the steam turbine; controlling, via a control unit, the temperature of the steam during said regulating to a temperature higher than the starting temperature (T start ) at a position (P 1 ) upstream of the control valve, and a temperature substantially equal to the starting temperature (T start ) at a position (P 2 ) downstream of the control valve and upstream of the rotor; and regulating, via the control unit, a steam attemperator based on at least the steam temperature at the position downstream of the control valve and upstream of the rotor.