Siemens building largest LNG-to-power complex in Latin America

Siemens Energy is building what it calls the largest liquid natural gas (LNG)-to-power complex in Latin America.

The company secured an order for the turnkey construction of the combined cycle power plant UTE GNA II in the integrated LNG-to-power project GNA II, located at Port of Açu, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Construction of the power plant is already ongoing. Customer is the project company Gás Natural Açu (GNA). Following the successful commissioning of GNA I in summer 2021, GNA II will be the second turnkey combined cycle power plant that Siemens Energy will build in the thermoelectric hub and will add further capacity of 1.7 GW. With a combined capacity of 3 GW, the two power plants will be able to provide enough electricity for the consumption of around 14 million households. The second order comes with the first application of the HL class gas turbine in Brazil. The combined cycle plants powered by LNG will be the most efficient thermal power plants in Latin America. The total project amount is approximately €1 billion.

Siemens Energy scope of supply includes three highly efficient HL class gas turbines, one steam turbine, four electric generators and three heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), in addition to instrumentation and control systems. The services offered by Siemens Energy will also cover long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant, including advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics by the Remote Operation Center, located in Jundiaí, São Paulo. The power plant is being built together with the consortium partner Andrade Gutierrez who will provide the civil works, the infrastructure and the erection works.

Final assembly, gas turbine factory Berlin.

“Our participation in this outstanding project reinforces how our comprehensive LNG-to-power approach increases value to our partners, and also meets the need for affordable and reliable energy,” said Jochen Eickholt, executive board member of Siemens Energy AG. “This project is strategic, not only for its grandeur, but also for its geographical location, close to the two main gas pipelines systems in Brazil, in the Northeast and Southeast of the country. And not to forget: Our gas turbines for GNA II are ready to burn hydrogen in the future. This means our technology is future-proof for our customers.”

The Açu Natural Gas project includes the construction of two thermal power plants, as well as an LNG regasification terminal, based on an FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit), plus substations and transmission lines to connect the plants to the National Interconnected System. The thermoelectric complex is part of the Açu Gás Hub, a project under development at the Açu Port Complex aimed to provide a logistical solution for the receipt, processing, conversion to electricity and transport of natural gas in the Campos and Santos basins, as well as for importing and storing LNG. A second phase will comprise additional thermal power projects under the environmental license for 6.4 GW owned by GNA.

The construction of the GNA I plant started in January 2018 and this plant began its commercial operation in September 2021. The two power plants will supply energy to regions such as Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro within the National Interconnected System.