Peterhead power station

Infobox UK power station
static_

static_image_caption=Peterhead power station as seen from Boddam.
os_grid_reference=NK127430
latitude=57.477213
longitude=-1.788879
country=Scotland
unitary_scotland=Aberdeenshire
operator=Scottish and Southern Energy
fuel=Oil-fired
fuel_capacity=1,320MWe
secondary_fuel=Gas-fired
secondary_fuel_capacity=1,070MWe

Peterhead power station is a multi unit [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/215248 station] owned and operated by Scottish and Southern Energy near Boddam and the A90, just south of Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire in the north east of Scotland.

History

Oil fired power station

The station was originally planned as a 1320MWe oil fired power station consisting of two 676MWe generating units. Construction began in May 1973, with one unit opening in 1980, and the other in 1982. The original owner was the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. The proximity of the station to St Fergus gas terminal meant, however, that the boilers were converted to burn gas as well as oil. When it opened, it burnt waste gas from the Brent oilfield, prior to this gas being refined at the Mossmorran refinery near Cowdenbeath, and the price of oil was uneconomic to use. By 1984, the price of oil made it economic to burn.

Gas turbines

In the early 1990s the owners (Scottish Hydro Electric) entered into a contract with BP to burn sour gas from the Miller Field. In order to satisfy the terms of this contract two further units were built (two 120MW Open Cycle gas turbine) with a primary function to burn Miller gas when the two main units were unavailable.

Combined cycle gas turbines

In 2000 the station completed a major repowering project to increase the efficiency and capacity of the station. Three gas turbines were utilised in an innovative manner to provide steam to one of the original steam turbines. These changes allowed for 1150MWe of output to be delivered at 57% thermal efficiency compared with the original plants 37%.

The installed capacity of Peterhead increased to 2407MWe in November 2007 following a compressor and combustion control upgrade on GT11, 12 and 13 making it the largest power station in Scotland ahead of Longannet. The transmission system at Peterhead however, limits production to 1550MWe.

Hydrogen power plant

In 2006 there were plans to produce 350MWe of power from Hydrogen, produced from the methane, with the resulting carbon dioxide being pumped into the Miller Field by BP using carbon capture. If viable, it would be the first large scale hydrogen power plant. However on May 23 2007, BP [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6685345.stm pulled the plug] on the carbon capture idea after losing patience waiting for government approval, with [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6686823.stm concern] over the long term storage capacity of the Miller Field.

pecification

The three 277MWe V94.3A (now called [http://www.powergeneration.siemens.com/products-solutions-services/products-packages/gas-turbines/large-scale-50hz/sgt5-4000f SGT5-4000F] ) Siemens gas turbines provide a CCGT-type system of power generation, with three Doosan Babcock heat recovery steam generators providing steam to one (older) steam turbine.

External links

* [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst2018.html Gazetteer for Scotland]
* [http://www.bpalternativenergy.com/liveassets/bp_internet/alternativenergy/next_generation_hydrogen_peterhead.html Cancelled Peterhead Hydrogen Power Project]
* [http://www.industcards.com/st-other-uk.htm Other steam-electric plants in the UK]

News items

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4748142.stm Alternative energy in March 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7021860.stm More alternative energy in October 2007]