Centrica Starts Building 50 MW Unit

UK energy supplier Centrica has announced that construction starts this week on its new 50 MW back-up power unit at Peterborough power station.

The new 'peaking' plant will be made up of five small Wartsila-built reciprocating engines, burning natural gas, that will typically be used on weekdays to meet periods of high demand or to provide back-up power when needed, and be able to go from a cold start to full power in less than two minutes.

David Theakstone, generation manager at Peterborough power station said July 10: “This fast response plant will help to meet local energy demand, while supporting the changing way electricity is generated.” Up to 95 people will be on site during construction, expected to take around 15 months. The unit will be operational in Q4 2018 and forms part of a £180mn investment programme into new flexible power facilities across the UK.

In UK capacity auctions held last December, Centrica secured contracts for four such new flexible power generation units, one being at Peterborough.

Last month Centrica announced the divestment of its two larger Langage and South Humber Bank combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations, with a combined capacity of 2.3 GW, for £318mn ($401mn) cash to Czech privately-owned utility EPH; the latter already owns two UK power plants and many more across central Europe, plus a managing interest in Slovakia's key gas transit system Eustream. 

Mark Smedley