Ohio combined cycle starts operation

Advanced Power has announced commercial operation has begun at its 700-megawatt Carroll County Energy natural gas electric generation facility.

Carroll County Energy located in northeastern Ohio is a combined-cycle natural gas electric generating facility built to sell into the PJM market. It is located in an area with low priced natural gas production, as well as AEP's 345 kV transmission lines and Kinder Morgan's Tennessee Gas Pipeline system.

Commercial operations began in mid-December, said Chuck Davis, President, Advanced Power Asset Management. He said that commencement of operations was a credit to community partnerships, solid financial support, and the professionalism of Bechtel, the general contractor as well as the subcontractors and scores of workers employed to build the facility.

Plans to build Carroll County Energy were announced in July 2013. In April 2015, Advanced Power closed the $899 million project financing. Equity investors are TIAA Investments, JERA, Ullico and Prudential Capital Group and Advanced Power.  Providing senior secured credit facilities for construction were BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and eight other commercial banks.

The facility, which features two  GE 7F.05 gas turbines and a D602 steam turbine, has the capacity to generate electricity for approximately 750,000 homes. Bechtel built the project under a turnkey construction contract. Ethos Energy is operating the facility, which employs 22 people. Advanced Power continues to manage the business.