Combined Cycle power plant, Venezuela

A sound basis – The foundation had to provide a stable surface for the heavy components (steam turbine, waste heat boiler, condenser), so 250 concrete piles were driven up to 20 m into the ground. The foundations were then cast on top. This measure took special care because the piles were driven during plant operations. We managed to eliminate completely all potential shock vibrations.

A perfect play of forces – The power plant required the optimal combination of high-quality machinery and plant sections. So we placed our orders at supplier locations on four continents: the steam turbine from Japan, the waste heat boiler from the Netherlands, the condenser from the USA, the transformer from Brazil, the cooling water pumps from India, and the lake water purification system from Germany. For the assembly work we made sure that the participating companies worked hand in hand – 90 percent of the 1,300 people who have worked on the construction site come from the region where the power plant is located. Particular requirements for the cooling water supply
A cool head – In collaboration with a Dutch company we developed a concept for purifying water from the giant Lake Maracaibo. Covering 13,000 km2 this is the largest lake in South America and is eight times the size of London. Not only did we take all the requisite soil probes, but also studied the complex flow behaviour as a measure to counteract any thermal short circuits when cooling water enters the system.