Alstom to automate world’s largest coal-fired power plant

Power equipment maker Alstom today said that it has signed a contract worth over €100 million with South African utility Eskom to provide the instrumentation and control system for the world's largest coal-fired power plant, Medupi in South Africa.

Alstom has also provided Eskom with the option, worth an additional €100 million, to install an identical system on Medupi's sister plant, Kusile.

"The contract confirms Alstom as a recognised leader in the supply of large-scale automation systems for large power plants."

Medupi and Kusile, currently under construction, are the largest dry-cooled coal fired power plants in the world. Each will have an output of almost 4800 MW, powered by six 790 MW Alstom turbines and generators, and together will provide a significant increase in South Africa's energy capacity. Eskom has launched a massive infrastructure investment programme to double the country's electricity sector in the decade to come.

Under the terms and conditions of the contract, Alstom will engineer, supply and install its latest state-of-the-art distributed control system (DCS), the ALSPA Series 6,and all related instrumentation. Alstom's ALSPA Series 6 system is an open and secure IT platform, which optimises running costs and provides operators with a safe and user-friendly tool.

The control system will ensure safe, efficient monitoring and control of the plant's critical equipment, while easing Medupi's integration into Eskom's existing fleet of power plants.

''The award of this contract confirms Eskom's confidence in Alstom and recognises the quality and performance of Alstom's automation offering. The ALSPA Series 6 Distributed Control System (DCS) is the first major product resulting from our collaboration with Microsoft to address the new "smart grid" challenges.

Alstom's energy management solutions help energy producers to optimise their assets in this new energy environment,,'' said Philippe Joubert, president, Alstom Power.

Alstom is a leader in the South African energy market, where it has been present for over 100 years. The company is currently retrofitting Koeberg, South Africa's only nuclear power plant, to increase power output by over 65 MW.