Alstom to supply a GRT steam turbine for Northern Ireland biomass scheme

Alstom has signed a contract with the Danish power plant specialist Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) to design and supply an 18 MW Geared Reaction steam turbine (GRT). The steam turbine will be installed in a 15.8 MW biomass power station being built by BWSC in Northern Ireland.  

The wood-fuelled biomass power station, to be built on a 10-acre site in Lisahally, is the first of its kind in Ireland and also the first project to be developed and funded by ERE Developments. The plant, which was part-funded by the UK Governments Green Investment Bank, and Danish EKF (Export Credit Agency), is expected to become operational in 2015.

Alstom units in the UK, Hungary and Poland will be involved in the design and manufacture of the turbine.

Daniel Wahler, Alstoms Vice-President for Industrial Steam Turbines, said: The GRT utilises the latest Alstom technologies in blade designs to give the best performance, thus giving the perfect solution for any sub-60MW biomass project where total plant efficiency is of the highest importance.

The GRT turbine is pre-assembled in the factory before shipment and requires a simple foundation to which it is easy to anchor the steam turbine generator package, saving money on installation and commissioning times.

The GRT is optimised for efficient and flexible power production covering renewable and traditional fuel types and industrial applications for process steam. It features a flexible modular concept and a plug-and-play package to reduce installation time.

Press contact 
Jonathan Smith jonathan.smith@alstom.com 
Head of Media Relations, Alstom UK