Pacific Energy subsidiary Contract Power Australia will build a substantial low-emissions gas-fuelled power station for Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary Pilbara Energy, at Fortescue’s Solomon mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Pacific Energy chief executive officer Jamie Cullen said the deal underlined Pacific’s status as Australia’s leading supplier of remote power and consolidated a long-standing relationship with Fortescue reaching back to 2007.
Contract Power will be installing 15 Rolls Royce Bergen B36:45 gas generators supplied by Penske Australia.
“The RRB B36:45 generators are low-emission, medium speed units with market-leading fuel efficiency, which will deliver low-cost clean energy to support Fortescue’s growing penetration of renewable energy in the Pilbara Energy Connect program,” Mr Cullen said.
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“We believe that these large-scale reciprocating generators will be the technology of choice for new projects like Fortescue’s Pilbara Generation Project, as part of their Pilbara Energy Connect program.”
Mr Cullen said reciprocating generators suited Fortescue’s needs because their reliability, low emissions and high fuel efficiency have been proven around the world in harsh operating environments such as Australia’s Pilbara region.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement was recently signed and, following completion of detailed design and engineering work, site works will commence in September 2020.
It follows two other significant contract awards to Contract Power this year–a 20-year contract with Horizon Power for a high renewables-penetration power station for the Town of Esperance and an eight-year contract with Capricorn Metals for a gas-fuelled power station at their Karlawinda gold mine in the Pilbara.
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Penske Australia’s managing director Hamish Christie-Johnston said the company was excited to partner with Contract Power on this critical infrastructure project.
“We see this as an opportunity to set a new benchmark for medium-speed gas power stations in the Pilbara and this site being used as a reference for future projects. We are highly committed to the success of the project and look forward to providing ongoing service support for the units under contract with Fortescue,” Mr Christie-Johnston said.
