RWE npower to invest £100m in Little Barford Power Station - project to cut CO2 emissions by 40,000 tonnes a year
10 Mar 2010 
Power Stations / East Anglia
RWE npower today announced it has signed contracts for a multi-million pound project which will cut carbon dioxide emissions from its Little Barford Power Station by around 40,000 tonnes a year.
The £100 million programme of investment to improve the efficiency, reliability and environmental performance of the station at St Neots, Cambridgeshire, will see major equipment upgraded including the station’s two existing gas turbines.
The upgrade to Little Barford, now in its fourteenth year of commercial operation, will also increase the station’s potential net output to around 700MW – enough power for around 800,000 homes.
Kevin McCullough, Chief Technical Officer for RWE npower, said:
“Modern gas-fired power stations are already the cleanest fossil fuelled power stations. This project will increase power output as well as cutting the station’s carbon footprint - ensuring we will be in the best position to provide reliable power generation into the future.”
The upgrade to the gas turbines will incorporate the latest technology from GE, who will carry out the work on behalf of RWE npower.
Magued Eldaief, GE Energy's Managing Director, UK, said:
"As part of this upgrade, we are excited to be providing our latest gas turbine technology which will enable Little Barford Power Station to deliver energy more cleanly and efficiently to its customers. This important project further strengthens the relationship between RWE npower and GE Energy in the UK."
To support the running of the station’s upgraded turbines, which are expected to be in commercial operation by the third quarter of 2012, Little Barford’s control system will also be upgraded. The new control system will help to ensure the ongoing reliability and operational flexibility of the plant.
Notes to Editors:
- Little Barford Power Station currently has an installed capacity of 680MW. The combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station began operating in 1996 and employs 65 permanent staff. Fuelled by natural gas, it has one generating module, consisting of two gas turbines and one steam turbine
- RWE Technology is responsible for the construction and modernisation of RWE's power plant projects, implementing the largest investment programme in the company's history. Created on 1st January 2010, it is currently managing projects with a value of over €10billion across Europe
- RWE’s largest power plant investments include its projects in Neurath in Germany and Eemshaven in the Netherlands, as well as those in Staythorpe and Pembroke in the United Kingdom.
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RWE npower is an integrated energy business, generating
electricity and supplying
gas, electricity and related services to customers across the UK. We operate and manage flexible, low-cost coal, oil and gas-fired power stations - generating over 11 GW of electricity. We serve around 6.5 million customer accounts and produce more than 10% of the electricity used in England and Wales. We are also on twitter -
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