Emerson Chosen to Modernize Controls at Largest Thermal Power Plant in Kazakhstan

Emerson Process Management has received two contracts to modernize controls at the Ekibastuz GRES-1 thermal power plant. The largest power plant in Kazakhstan, the 4,000 MW facility produces 13 percent of the country’s power. It is located in Ekibastuz, the industrial center of a bituminous coal-mining basin that has coal reserves estimated at 8 billion tons.

Under the first contract, Emerson will modernize the controls for the steam turbine and turbine drives for feedwater pumps at six 500-MW units (Units 3-8). Emerson's Ovation technology will monitor and control the Turboatom turbines at two of the units and LMZ turbines at the other four; as well as two KTZ turbine drives for feedwater pumps at each unit. The contract also includes retrofitting the turbine protection system and turbine DEH (digital electro hydraulic) system. The controls upgrade for two of the units will be completed in 2010, and the other four will be finished in 2011-2012. More…