apr energy

Temporary power provider APR Energy has secured a deal with Australian state-owned utility Horizon Power for a peaking power plant in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

The plant will feature four of APR Energy’s dual-fuel mobile gas turbines, producing 30MW of power each. The plant is set to run as a bridging solution for at least 30 months until Australia’s electricity power generator and marketer TransAlta Energy has built a permanent power plant, scheduled for 2017.

The peaking plant will be designed for the extreme conditions in Western Australia, where temperatures can reach 48°C in the summer. The contract provides an option of the additional installation of two aero-derivative turbines, if capacity requirements grow.

APR Energy has now a generation capacity of 410MW in the Asia Pacific region. "With this contract, we once again see turbines as the most, if not only, viable technology for utility customers needing large-scale, rapidly-deployed solutions that provide greater grid stability, low capital costs and low emissions,” said APR Energy’s managing director of Asia Pacific, Clive Turton.

The contract replaces APR Energy's earlier agreement with Forge Group Power Party Limited, which declared bankruptcy.

Horizon Power serves more than 10,000 businesses and large industrial customers as well as more than 100,000 residents, across a range of 2.3m sq. kilometres in Western Australia.

APR Energy is supplying modularised power to Guatemala, Indonesia and Senegal as part of a 101MW expansion for 2013 that sees the company investing US$150 million in rental power. This large investment is to make operational improvements and increase the use of its diesel power fleet.

The project in Guatemala is providing energy to a silver mine 40km outside of Guatemala City. The plant will be the sole power source for the mine, which is not connected to the local grid. This adds to APR’s contracts with mining companies, with projects in Mozambique and Botswana also underway.

Existing contracts with Senegal and Gabon have been extended, increasing APR’s energy supply in Western Africa by 70MW.

In Indonesia a 15MW diesel-fired power plant feeds back to the state grid system to balance the supply-demand load issues. Laurence Anderson, President and COO of APR said the project offered APR an entry to one of the largest temporary power markets in the world.

“I feel strongly that the new contracts in Indonesia and Guatemala, along with the current contract extensions, are further evidence of our continued customer satisfaction and the overall strength of the market,” said John Campion, APR Energy Chief Executive Officer. “The 101MW in January follow on the heels of the 200MW contract award and 100MW renewal in Uruguay in December and show an unmistakable momentum in our business.”