Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe (MHPS-EDE), a group company of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS), has been awarded a contract to construct a lignite-fired ultra-supercritical-pressure thermal power unit at Turów, Poland

Under the contract JPY110bn ($1.08bn), the consortium of the three companies will develop a 450MW power unit for a power generation company under the corporate umbrella of Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE), a state-controlled power provider in Poland.

MHPS’s proprietary technologies in low-grade coal combustion for boilers will be used for the project to enable efficient use of lignite.

The plant is scheduled to commence operations in the middle of 2019 and the new unit, once completed, will respond to robust electric power demand accompanying Poland’s steady economic growth.

MHPS-EDE-led consortium comprises civil engineering company Budimex SA and the engineering firm Técnicas Reunidas.

The newly built unit of Turów power plant will feature a boiler, steam turbine, condenser, power generator, instrumentation and control equipment and desulfurisation equipment.

MHPS and MHPS-EDE will be responsible for all aspects from core equipment manufacture and supply to test operation, whereas Budimex and Técnicas Reunidas will be responsible for civil engineering, construction, installation, electrical machinery and other activities.

MHPS will continue to apply its low-grade coal combustion technologies for high-efficiency ultra-supercritical pressure boilers.

Approximately 90% of the gross power generation of Poland relies on coal firing and the country has one of the world’s largest reserves of coal.