Siemens claims the SeaFloat barge-mounted power plant will supply the Dominican Republic with electricity at a lower cost than a land-based fossil power plant. Installed on behalf Seaboard, an independent power producer (IPP), Estrella del Mar III will be moored offshore Santo Domingo.
Cheaper than land-based plant
Once operational in spring 2021, the floating power plant will provide the Dominican Republic with “a quality proven power plant at a lower cost in comparison to a similar land-based power plant,” the project partners stressed.
Due to site constraints with limited free land, the customer selected a SCC-800 2x1 SeaFloat concept with two Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines and one SST-600 steam turbine. The turbine gensets are of single lift package design for floating applications, utilizing a frame-based design with a three-point mount. “This allows increasing the plant size in comparison to a land-based power plant,” Siemens underlined.
Turnkey ‘plug and play’ concept
Siemens will realize the project under a turnkey ‘plug and play’ concept, whereby the German OEM will design and build the 145 MW combined-cycle power plant.
Singapore-based ST Engineering.will be responsible for the engineering design, procurement and construction (EPC) of the floating power barge, the balance of plant and the installation works.
Fluence Energy, a JV company of Siemens and AES, will provide a 5MW/10 MWh battery that will be integrated in the power plant for frequency regulation control, allowing it to operate at full capacity with highest fuel efficiency.
Variations of the SeaFloat concept
Siemens SeaFloat power plants are adaptable for various needs. While most market requests are for the SGT-800 gas turbine, further solutions are available based on the based on the SGT-A65 and SGT-8000H series.
Mobility is one of the strength the floating power barge. SeaFloat power plants can be moved to any site that is accessible by sea or major rivers and require almost no investment for land acquisition. Short lead times can be achieved given that the plants are largely built from standardized equipment in leading shipyards.
Typical applications for this concept are power supply for island nations or industrial areas on shorelines or major rivers as well as brownfield sites.