NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- CH2M HILL announced today that it has been awarded a contract for the new, environmentally-friendly Besicorp/Empire combined cycle power plant in Rensselaer, New York. CH2M HILL subsidiary, LG Constructors, will perform integrated engineering, procurement and construction for the 535 megawatt power plant with a peaking capacity of 635 megawatts. Total projected cost for the project is more than $500 million. "CH2M HILL is pleased to be chosen to help provide new electric power to New York industrial consumers," said Don Zabilansky, president, CH2M HILL's power business group. The Northeast U.S. is currently projected to have possible electricity shortfalls in the future, and this new power station will help to alleviate these concerns. Once operating, this power station will be one of the cleanest and lowest noise producers of comparable plants throughout the country. Engineering for the project is currently underway, with construction soon to follow. Equipment installation for the new power station is scheduled to begin early in 2008. Facility operations for supplying electricity to the power grid is planned to commence by December 31, 2009. The new power station will include two GE 7FA combustion turbines, two Alstom three-pressure heat recovery steam generators and one GE D-11 reheat steam turbine. The plant will be fueled by natural gas and intermittently by low sulfur fuel oil. The combustion turbines and the steam turbine will be enclosed in a building. The project scope includes a 345 kV switchyard, 8 miles of 345 kV transmission line, a 16-inch diameter gas line for 4.5 miles, and a 28-inch diameter grey water pipeline from Albany County's sewage treatment facility under the Hudson River.
