THE SERMIDE THERMAL POWER PLANT Centrale di Sermide - Via C. Colombo, 2 46028 Moglia di Sermide (MN) Phone 0386/292311 - Fax 06/64255118 Email: centrale.sermide@edipower.it

YESTERDAY

The power plant was erected on the right side of the Po River, in the area of Sermide and Carbonara Po municipalities, approx. 40 km East of the town of Mantua. At the beginning, it included four 320MW units which were fed with fuel oil.

Sections 1 and 2, completed in 1986, were stopped on 28 July 2004 in compliance with the Decree 112/2000 which had authorized the realization of the 1,200 MW combined cycle, subsequently resuming operations for approximately 1 month during the so-called “gas emergency” period in the winter of 2005-2006, contributing substantially to overcoming it.

In December 12, 2003 Edipower issued a “public announcement” communicating the request of “pronuncia di compatibilità ambientale” (environmental viability ruling ) to the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment and Territory Preservation. With this procedure Edipower required to be allowed to operate, aside the units 3 and 4, also units 1 and 2 fed with gas and fuel oil. In May 12, 2007, the Commissione VIA (Environmental Impact Viability Committee) released negative advice to the request.

TODAY

TECHNICAL OUTLOOK

The Sermide Power Plant includes  two gas turbine combined cycle production units (defined Modules) as follows:

• one  module (SE3) consisting of a   gas turbine and of a steam turbine, for a total capacity of approx. 380 MW.
• one module (SE4) consisting of two gas turbines and one steam turbine, for a total  capacity of approx. 760 MW.

The total capacity is 1,140 MW.
The plant is fed with natural gas only.
The power plant is equipped with:

• 3 gas turbines
• 3 heat recovery steam generators
• 2 steam turbines
• 2 steam condensers
• 5 generators
• 5 main transformers
• 3 stacks, 130 m high

The condenser cooling water is taken from the Po River.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

GAS TURBINES
The gas turbines (GT) installed in the combined cycle have single shaft, with an approx. 250 MW output power.

The multistage axial compressor is equipped with inlet guide vanes (IGV).

Part of the compressed air is used for the cooling of the turbine and to avoid the pumping phenomenon during starting.

From the axial compressor the compressed air is sent to the combustion chamber.

The burner is of the dry low NOx type (Dry Low NOx) with 18 combustors arranged in a circular array on the discharge section  of the compressor.

The thermal power supplied by the combustion is transformed into mechanical power in the gas turbine and then in electric power by the coupled generator. Flue gas coming out from the gas turbines is sent to the heat recovery steam generators, where it releases heat for steam production, and then it is discharged at the stack.

STEAM TURBINES
The steam turbine of section 3 is the reaction type, whereas that in section 4 is the action/reaction type, consisting of two cylinders (AP/MP and BP) mounted on the same axis.

GENERATORS
Generators are of the three-phase type, with cooling in closed cycle hydrogen atmosphere.

MAIN TRANSFORMERS
The electricity produced by the power plant is inlet in the transmission grid at 380 kV voltage through the 5 main transformers.

CONDENSERS
Condensers are of the surface type with one-way stainless steel horizontal pipes and with two independent water drums, on cooling water side.

FUELS
The fuel used in the power plant is natural gas only; the gas is supplied  through a gas pipeline connected to the gas national grid. The gas pressure, with an appropriate reduction station, is reduced to the operation pressure for the gas turbines.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Sermide Power Plant is equipped with the following systems to minimize the emissions to the air:

• Combustion with dry reduction of  (Dry Low NOx) nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The emissions to the air of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and of carbon monoxide (CO) are continuously monitored and recorded through an Emission Monitoring System (SME). Recorded data are transmitted to the relevant control authority every six months.

The power plant is equipped with an Air Quality Monitoring Network (RRQA) consisting of six measurement workstations located in Sermide and other neighbouring municipalities that measure the discharge of pollutants at the ground.

The collected data are supplied to the relevant control authority. A bio-monitoring system, through lichens, is also being actuated.

The waste waters (acid/alkaline, oily, biological) are treated in a purposely designed plant (ITAR, Waste Water Treatment Plant) and continuously tested before the discharge

A partial recovery plant for waste water has been recently implemented. This plant includes a reverse osmosis treatment plant, aimed at the re-utilization of the treated water  as demineralised water.

All activities that interact or may interact with the environment are managed in accordance with the ruling environmental standards and the available state-of-the-art techniques.

The management of the Thermal Power Plant has implemented an Environmental Management System that was certified according to the UNI EN ISO  Standard 14001 in March 2002

To foster the ongoing improvement of the environmental performances and the information to the public the management of the Thermal Power Plant has voluntarily adopted the EU Ecomanagement and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and obtained the registration in March 25, 2002 with the number  I-000096.