Centrax recently completed a high-profile installation with the commissioning of its first Siemens CX400 package. This 12MW unit is now meeting 40 per cent of the hot water demand of the French city of Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris, while also producing electricity for sale to French power utility EDF.
The combined heat and power installation at Versailles is the first Siemens gas turbine to be packaged by Centrax since the two companies forged a recent agreement that enables Centrax to market the SGT-300 and SGT-400 gas turbines in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Besides its technical benefits, the CX400 is said to give Centrax the commercial advantage of providing the greatest power output and energy efficiency below the 12MW cap imposed on co-generation projects in France. This allows French energy producer COFELY, parent company of Versailles operator Verséo, to maximize its revenue by exporting 12MW of power across the ambient temperature range during a contracted operating time of 3600 hours per year.
Crucially, Centrax completed the installation and commissioning well within a tight schedule to meet the start of the winter heating season in France. The new power plant was formally opened by the President of Verséo, Damien Terouanne and COFELY General Manager Pierre-Yves Dulac with the Deputy Mayor of Versailles on October 18. It re-uses an existing building and replaces an older gas turbine. Customers for its heat and power include the Palace of Versailles and surrounding residential areas.
The contract brings the total number of generator sets packaged by Centrax for the European market to more than 320. Siemens gas turbines complement the UK Company’s current product range by giving customers one of the widest choices of power output in Europe, with a range of between 2.5MW and 64MW.
