Siemens upgrades I&C for GE steam turbines for the first time

February 27, 2015 | 15:41

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Global technology powerhouse Siemens AG yesterday received an order for upgrading the Instrumentation & Control (I&C) system in units 5 and 6 in the Samcheonpo thermal power station in the South Korean province of Gyeongsangnam-do.

This marks the first time that Siemens is upgrading the I&C system for GE steam turbines. The goal of this upgrade is to enhance the availability of the plant and the plant's reliability during operation and to reduce the operating and maintenance costs for the plant.

Its customer is Korea South East Power Ltd (KOSEP), the operator of the power plant. Unit 5 was upgraded in November 2014 during a scheduled outage. Work on Unit 6 is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2015.

The Samcheonpo power plant consists of six units, with a total installed electrical generating capacity of 3240 megawatt (MW). The plant was commissioned between 1983 and 1998.

The upgrade measures being performed by Siemens include the installation of the Siemens SPPA-T3000 I&C system for the boiler and for the auxiliary systems (balance of plant), as well as replacement of the existing turbine control system and instrumentation and controls at the turbo-generator.

“This is the first time that Siemens has upgraded two GE turbines of this size successfully to the Siemens SPPA-T3000 I&C system,” stated Ute Menikheim, regional manager of the Instrumentations, Controls and Electrical business unit within Siemens Power and Gas.

“An increasing number of operators are adapting their power plants to new market conditions, which above all call for greater flexibility, higher availability, improved efficiency and lower emissions.

“We chose the Siemens solution to ensure more reliable operation of our plant for the future following the shortest possible inspection and overhaul outage,” said Min Wan Ki, general manager I&C Team at Samcheonpo thermal power station.

By By Mai Thuy

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