The event saw Paul Goodson, SSE Station Manager for Keadby 1 and Wesley Tivnen, Managing Director Power and Gas, Siemens along with Cllr John Briggs and the project team cut turf at the site to mark the formal start of work.
Keadby 2 represents a £350 million investment to introduce first-of-a-kind, high efficiency gas-fired generation technology to the UK. It will be constructed as a full turnkey solution by Siemens, which will also provide plant servicing under a 15-year contract.
Commenting, Cllr Briggs said: “I was delighted to be able to attend the Keadby 2 site and learn more about the class leading technology being brought to North Lincolnshire. I plan to continue to work closely with both SSE and Siemens to maximise local opportunities linked to the construction and operation of Keadby 2.”
Once completed, the station will be the most efficient CCGT on the system, with 63% efficiency, enabling the UK to move away from coal in the 2020s and to integrate more renewables into the power grid.
The station will help to provide flexible energy generation capacity to the grid, with the turbine able to reach full combined cycle power in 30 minutes.
Work to demolish existing structures from the former coal fired plant to prepare the ground for construction of the new plant is already underway and is being completed by Brigg based contractor CLS.
Wesley Tivnen, Managing Director, Power and Gas, Siemens, said: “I’m delighted Siemens engineering excellence is able to bring one of the most efficient CCGT gas turbines to the UK market. This station will mean the UK can move away from coal fired power and still have synchronous generating capacity on the grid, to complement intermittent renewable generation. If the UK is to meet decarbonisation targets and keep the lights on, we’ll need to see a mix of technologies used to power the grid. The Siemens turbine provides the flexibility to do that.”
From January 2019, work will begin on the station construction, beginning with piling ahead of construction of the main foundations and steel work for the main buildings. Components are scheduled to arrive during early 2020.
SSE Project Manager, Mark Birley added: “SSE has a strong presence in this area with both the operational Keadby 1 power station and the neighbouring Keadby wind farm. Breaking ground for this project signals an exciting next step for us and we look forward to working with Siemens to deliver Keadby 2.”
Ahead of main construction SSE and Siemens will host a local Meet The Buyer Event, providing a forum for businesses to learn more about potential supply chain opportunities. The event will be held at The Double Tree by Hilton Forest Pines Resort on 4 December. It will also be an opportunity for attendees to network more widely with representatives from each business.
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