Aug 7 2015
Bechtel announced today the groundbreaking on a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant in Loudoun County, Virginia. Bechtel, a global leader in the design and execution of complex power projects, is providing project management, engineering, procurement, construction, and startup services, while its consortium partner, Siemens, is responsible for core power elements, including the natural gas and steam turbines, generators, and waste-heat-recovery boilers.
The 778-megawatt, Stonewall facility, for customer Panda Power Funds, will generate power for up to 778,000 homes in Virginia and the District of Columbia and is due to start commercial operations by mid-2017.
"We have a long-standing relationship with the Bechtel-Siemens consortium, and they continue to provide value for us as we start to deliver this new generating station to the people of Loudoun County," said Todd Carter, president and senior partner of Panda Power Funds. "This advanced facility will provide power for one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States and will also be one of the cleanest power plants in the nation."
The new facility will use the latest, most advanced emissions-control technology and will be cooled with treated wastewater, helping to conserve Virginia's natural supply of drinking water and preventing discharge of harmful nutrients into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watershed. It will be located in an industrial zone, screened by a naturally wooded area to reduce sightlines, and will be built along existing transmission lines -- eliminating the need for additional power lines.
"We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with Panda Power Funds and Siemens on the Stonewall energy project, our fourth combined-cycle power plant together," said Walker Kimball, general manager, Infrastructure-Americas, Bechtel. "We're committed to delivering this new facility successfully and safely." Bechtel Enterprises developed the Stonewall project in partnership with Panda and Green Energy Partners.
The new power plant is expected to generate approximately $20 million a year in direct and indirect spending in Loudoun County, increase the tax base and provide revenue to the Town of Leesburg. Some 800 construction jobs will be created during construction, as well as around 30 long-term jobs to operate the plant.
Bechtel has successfully completed combined-cycle projects in the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Brazil, Taiwan, Egypt, India, Turkey and Mexico. Read more about the Stonewall Energy Project