Spanish utility says yes to steam upgrade

Spain's largest utility authorises upgrade of second of four steam generating units at its As Pontes power plant in La Coruna.

Foster Wheeler Energia has been authorised by Endesa, Spain's largest utility, to proceed with an upgrade of the second of four steam generating units at Endesa's As Pontes power plant at La Coruna, Spain.

The terms of the award, which will be included in the company's fourth-quarter bookings, were not disclosed.

The four boilers at the As Pontes plant, rated at 350MWe each, were originally supplied by Foster Wheeler.

They were designed to fire local brown coal, and were commissioned between 1976 and 1979.

Foster Wheeler modified the units between 1993 and 1996 to fire up to 50% imported coal.

Under a contract signed with Endesa in 2003, FW Energia and its partner Duro Felguera, a Spanish manufacturing and construction contractor, are carrying out a further phased upgrade of all four boilers to burn 100% low-sulfur imported coal.

Upgrades to the first unit began in 2005 and the unit is now in commercial operation.

Authorisation to proceed has now been given by Endesa for the upgrade of the second unit.

"Endesa's election of the option for the second upgrade is an important milestone for Foster Wheeler," said Eric Svendsen, Chief Eexecutive Officer, Foster Wheeler Energia.

"It demonstrates Endesa's confidence in the quality of our project execution, following the start-up of the first unit in 2005".

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