Petronas breaks ground on RM5b plant

PENGERANG: The RM5 billion Pengerang Co-generation Plant (PCP), which witnessed its groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, sees Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) moving a step closer towards realising the development of its Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC).
The PCP will be one of the largest and most efficient gas-fired power plants in Malaysia and expected to power the entire PIC by generating 1,220MW of electricity as well as provide reliable and continuous supply of steam up to 1,480 tonnes per hour for plants within the complex.
The PCP will have four co-generation units, with the first unit expected to be commercially operational by mid-2017.
Petronas vice president, infrastructure and utilities Pramod Kumar Karunakaran said as one of the most critical support facilities developed within the PIC, the PCP will play an important role in providing reliable steam and power to meet the requirements of the plants within the PIC area and supplement the needs of the Peninsular Power Grid.
"The first co-generation unit will dispatch about 400MW of electricity to the National Grid and subsequently the other three units will be commissioned by 2019 in time for the commissioning of the Rapid (Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development) complex," he told a press conference after the groundbreaking of the PCP here yesterday, which was officiated by Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad.
Pramod added that Petronas is also expected to announce more contracts for the PIC, having recently awarded 13 major contracts.
The PIC will house the Rapid project and other ancillary facilities which, apart from the PCP, include the Pengerang LNG re-gasification terminal, air separation unit, raw water supply project, crude and product tanks as well as centralised and shared utility facilities.
The PCP contract was awarded to a consortium comprising Siemens AG, Siemens Malaysia and MMC Engineering Sdn Bhd. Petronas subsidiary Pengerang Power Sdn Bhd awarded this order in May this year for the turnkey construction of the PCP, which comprises four co-generation units along with a long term maintenance and services contract.
Siemens AG CEO of power and gas division Dr Roland Fischer said each of the four co-generation units will include a Siemens gas turbine.
"Six turbines will be installed in Malaysia within the next two years (four for PCP) with two of them being installed at the Tenaga Nasional Bhd Prai combined-cycle power plant in Penang, which is scheduled to begin operations in early 2016," said Fischer.
Developed on a 6,242-acre site, the PIC will involve a US$27 billion (RM88.8 billion) investment. The PIC forms part of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex.