Delivery of the Gas Turbine for the new Power Plant in Toul

The first parts of the combined-cycle gas power plant (gas and steam turbine power plant) have arrived in Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and have been installed (single shaft): The steam turbine and the generator arrived mid October; the gas turbine was delivered on 24 October and installed on 26 October. From 2013, the operation of the approx. 413 MW capacity power plant will supply some 400,000 households, amounting to around one million French citizens. This innovative technology is especially efficient and has 60% lower CO2 emissions compared to a modern coal-fired power plant. The investment amounts to 350 million Euro. The project is being developed by the POWEO Toul Production company, which is a 100% subsidiary of VERBUND AG, Austria’s leading electricity company and one of the most important energy companies in Europe.

“With the combined-cycle gas power plant in Toul, Poweo Toul Production and VERBUND are investing in the most modern and efficient thermal technology in terms of environmental conservation,” declared Johann Precht, president of Poweo Toul Production S.A.S., on the occasion of this event.

Up to 500 people are currently employed in the construction phase on-site, representing almost one million working hours. The economic benefits during the construction phase are of very special importance. The operation of the power plant creates approx. 35 direct jobs and, in addition, requires indirect manpower (subcontracting, local supply and services...) for a duration of more than 20 years. Furthermore, the local authorities from the borough of Toul benefit from taxes through the operation of the site.

The planning and construction of the combined-cycle gas power plant in Toul has positive economic effects on the region of Lorraine to the tune of roughly 30 million Euro, at least 10 million Euro of which will stay directly in the region of Toul and Nancy.

An important milestone for the construction site
The construction site of the combined-cycle gas power plant is currently in its most spectacular phase. The arrival of the gas turbine was the greatest moment for the local authorities from the borough of Toul. Manufactured by Siemens in Berlin, it was first transported by lorry and then, from 11 October, by ship. It had covered a distance of almost 1,000 km by the time it reached Toul. Following 10 days of transport by sea, the turbine was unloaded onto the banks of the Mosel in Villey-Saint-Etienne and brought to the site by a vehicle for abnormal loads. The turbine weighs more than 300 tons and has a length of approx.10 metres.

The generator and the steam turbine had already been delivered one week earlier. They were manufactured in a Siemens factory in Mulheim. The two turbines and the generator form the heart of the new combined-cycle gas power plant.

One of Siemens’ largest deliveries
Furthermore, Siemens is also strongly represented on-site with technicians and construction engineers for the support and maintenance of the construction site. Toul is already the third large plant that Siemens has built in France. “Siemens is a worldwide operating company. With the global know-how of Siemens and the know-how of its partners in France, we are able to offer our services in a competent and professional manner,” says a delighted Jean-Philippe Henry, project manager of the combined-cycle gas power plant at Siemens France.

The combined-cycle gas power plant in Toul
The high degree of energy efficiency, combined with the use of natural gas, represents an environmentally friendly process that does not generate soot or sulphur oxide. The combined-cycle gas power plant has access to a modern and reliable technology. The application of high-quality technologies throughout the production chain also enables all other impacts on the environment to be significantly reduced. The combined cycle processes offer the advantage of shorter start-up times for electricity requirement. They enable the coverage of the electricity requirement at peak periods, also known as average load and peak load.

A 28-km-long canal has been erected in order to supply the power plant with gas from Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson. The combined cycle power plant possesses a steam power cycle, which will use heat generated by the gas cycle process. This system prevents the waste of energy. It is intended that the Toul plant be in operation for between 5,000 and 6,000 hours every year. Commissioning is envisaged for the start of 2013.

Respect for the environment
The project from Poweo Toul Production on the future industrial estate, Toul Europe, adheres to all stipulations of plant classification for environmental protection (“ICPE” classification). Furthermore, Poweo has carried out in-depth investigations in order to reduce potential environmental damage: fauna and flora, water, air, noise pollution, optimised waste disposal etc. In order to maintain the characteristic landscape, an architectural study guarantees that the building will blend optimally in with the surroundings. 

Project information