ESB and 15% shareholder Carlton Power is getting close to finalise the financing for the 910-MW Carrington plant.
ESB has reportedly already signed a first deal for a £450m of senior debt, split between a 10 year and a 17 year SERV covered tranche backed by an ESB EI toll with a liability cap on termination.
At least 10 GW of secured available generation capacity would be needed in Germany to backup renewables, however investment in combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGTs) power plants is "highly problematic" as profit margins are low, or even negative at times, and available financing remains restrained, says Reinhold Rümler, senior advisory practise at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Germany.
Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has retired the coal-fired H.F. Lee power plant on September 15 as part of the utility's fleet modernisation programme. The gap in power supply will be filled by a new 920-MW gas-fired plant, scheduled to start commercial operations in early 2013.
GE has been commissioned to supply three 9FB gas turbines for the 1,378-MW Datang Gaojing combined-cycle cogeneration power plant (CCPP) under construction in Beijing. "The project marks the first use of GE's 9FB gas turbines in China," GE said. To date, GE is the largest supplier of heavy-duty gas turbines to China with an installed capacity of 15,000 MW.