Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has completed upgrade works for two GTCC power plants with M701F gas turbines at Senoko Energy in Singapore.
This has helped to improve energy efficiency and reduce approximately 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing over 4,500 cars from the road a year.
The upgrade is part of a long-term service agreement (LTSA) concluded under a consortium with Mitsubishi Corporation. Mitsubishi Power applied its latest gas turbine technologies to the M701F gas turbine, achieving a heat rate improvement by reducing the volume of cooling air, which results in reduced carbon emissions.
Work on the upgrade and LTSA began on 21 June 2019 as part of Senoko Energy’s efforts to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise in line with Singapore’s Carbon Pricing Act, which saw subsidies for company efforts that led to reductions in carbon emissions.
Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to introduce a carbon price. The carbon tax, at $5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions (tCO2e), was introduced in 2019 through the Carbon Pricing Act (CPA).
Close collaboration between Senoko Energy, Mitsubishi Power, and other contractors allowed upgrade works to be completed on schedule while ensuring workplace safety despite challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The successful upgrade led to Senoko Energy receiving Honorable Mention in the Best Practices category for the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Award.
Commenting on this, Tan Cheng Teck, Executive Vice President, Operations & Maintenance, Senoko Energy said: “This project validates the hard work of our engineers, technicians and workers, particularly as the upgrade occurred during a challenging time of the pandemic.
“We are grateful to the project team for their meticulous planning and execution, the close collaboration with Mitsubishi Power and other contractors, as well as tremendous support from EMA in facilitating the entry of technical advisers from Japan to Singapore through the Green Lane arrangement. This was truly a team effort.”
Congratulating Senoko Energy on the award, Osamu Ono, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific said: “Upgrading works, together with operations & maintenance (O&M), are not only essential for maximising the asset value of existing power plant infrastructure but can also help improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in the path towards decarbonisation.
“Mitsubishi Power commends Senoko Energy for the Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Award they received in recognition of this successful upgrade. We are honored to build upon our long-standing relationship with Senoko Energy to provide critical gas turbine upgrading that supports their push for cleaner power generation in Singapore.”
The EENP Awards were set up in 2011 to recognise EENP Partners for their efforts and achievements in improving energy efficiency.
Organised annually by the NEA, Energy Market Authority, and the Singapore Economic Development Board, the EENP Awards aims to foster a culture of sustained energy efficiency improvement in the industry and public sectors; and encourage companies, organisations, or individuals to adopt a proactive approach towards energy management by identifying and sharing best practices for all to emulate.