MHPS, Suncor Announce Deal

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) announced that Suncor Energy has issued a Letter of Intent to purchase MHPS JAC gas turbine technology.

Subject to finalization of formal agreements and final project sanction decision by Suncor, the technology would power a new, more cost-effective and carbon-efficient process for bitumen production and power production in the Canadian oil sands, the companies said.

The MHPS JAC gas turbine technology was selected through a competitive bidding process. If the project is sanctioned, two JAC gas turbines will be installed with two heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) in a co-generation facility at the company’s base plant oil sands mine near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The operation will involve a proprietary process that uses natural gas to generate up to 800 MW of electricity using MHPS JAC gas turbine technology. Waste heat from the gas turbine is used to create steam, which heats the oil sands to separate the sand from the bitumen. This process will improve the efficiency of the existing production of approximately 350 000 barrels of bitumen per day.

In addition, MHPS will provide their digital power solution technology.  This will allow MHPS to monitor the equipment and provide predictive analytics, machine learning and adaptive controls technology.