Two contracts call for Emerson to install PlantWeb and Ovation in a plant producing 13% of all electricity in the Central Asia nation.

Emerson Process Management will be modernizing controls at the largest thermal power plant in Kazakhstan. The Ekibastuz GRES-1 thermal power plant operates at 4,000 megawatts, supplying 13% of the nation’s needs. The plant draws from a local bituminous coal-mining basin that has coal reserves estimated at 8 billion tons.

Under the first contract, Emerson, based in Pittsburgh, will modernize the controls for the steam turbine and turbine drives for feedwater pumps at six 500-MW units (Units 3-8). Emerson’s Ovation technology will monitor and control the Turboatom turbines at two of the units and LMZ turbines at the other four; as well as two KTZ turbine drives for feedwater pumps at each unit. The contract also includes retrofitting the turbine protection system and turbine DEH (digital electro hydraulic) system. The controls upgrade for two of the units will be completed in 2010, and the other four will be finished in 2011-2012.

Utilizing a single Ovation platform to control equipment supplied by different turbine manufacturers will help Ekibastuz GRES-1 streamline operations and improve overall efficiency by reducing the need for training and spare parts. Operators at the plant are also already familiar with the Ovation system because Emerson has previously upgraded other controls at Units 3-7.

Under the second contract, Emerson will digitally automate all major equipment and processes, including unit coordinator and startup and shutdown sequencing at Unit 8. Coordinated control not only enhances unit-wide compatibility, but also contributes to improved unit stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies; tighter overall control of plant operations; and a more streamlined view of key plant and turbine parameters. In all, Ovation will monitor and control 5,000 I/O points at this unit, which is scheduled to return to service in 2012.