ABB is providing a control system solution and additional power equipment for the recently completed expansion of the Azito thermal power plant. Azito, the largest private sector power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa is located near the port city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Originally commissioned in 1999, Azito has been operated by Azito O&M SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globeleq, one of Africa’s leading independent electricity providers.
The global EPC, Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. of South Korea, converted the 290-megawatt (MW) capacity single-cycle plant into a 430-MW combined-cycle power plant. Modifications made included installation of two heat recovery steam generators and a 139-MW steam turbine generator. These enhancements make the Azito power plant one of the most modern and efficient generating facilities in West Africa, supplying more than 25 percent of Côte d'Ivoire's electricity production.
"Advanced ABB control technology, stable hardware and software and advanced graphics and information tools supports a solid integration of new equipment at the Azito plant with stable operation and better efficiency," said Massimo Danieli, Managing Director of ABB's Power Generation business, part of the company's Power Systems division.
ABB has a long-established presence in Africa as a provider of power products and systems with a dedicated service organization centered in Algeria, Egypt and South Africa that includes training centers to support its expansion.
At Azito, ABB is delivering system design and library setup, main hardware, engineering, server, computer hardware, system setup, factory acceptance testing, installation and onsite commissioning.
Henry Aszklar, Globeleq's Chief Executive Officer commented: "ABB is known for its expertise in providing power technologies to improve performance and efficiency while minimising environmental impact. This expertise is exactly what Globeleq looks for when selecting its technical partners. "The plant's new combined-cycle technology captures and uses the waste heat generated by the existing gas turbine exhausts to make steam to drive the new steam turbine generator. This makes the plant substantially more energy-efficient, and increases power generation capacity without increasing natural gas consumption. The conversion was completed on time and within budget.
This will help Côte d'Ivoire keep pace with a surging demand for electricity, supported by the discovery of nearby natural gas reserves and quality power technology solutions.
