Currently in the test phase, the Landivisiau gas plant will not be able to produce electricity until next February. TotalEnergies announced this Thursday, December 2 during an informal site visit with local journalists. In question, a turbine alignment problem discovered at the end of last summer. “We’re talking about a few millimeters, it’s watchmaking”, explains Christophe Marette, the project director.
The buildings will not be finished until June 2022
The three components of the “turboset”, the heart of the power plant, weighing in all over 1,000 tonnes, their readjustment was particularly delicate. This defect will therefore further delay the start of operation, initially scheduled for 2021, then for January 2022. The gigantic project (400 million euros) operated by Siemens Energy has also suffered greatly from the consequences of the health crisis. The exterior finishes will not be completed until next June.
Little noise, but CO²
Inside, the installations are already operational since the tests are in progress. The first fire was lit on November 3. “From the outside, we hardly hear anything”, reassures Christophe Marette, supporting figures: the noise of the machines has been measured between 47 and 55 decibels. Unlike water vapor, combustion fumes are invisible but the unit will reject 500,000 tonnes of CO² per year, on an operating assumption of six months. But TotalEnergies is considering decarbonization solutions. As for the risk of accident, “he is under control” assures the director.
– Nicolas Olivier
With a maximum power of 446 MW, the equivalent of the consumption of 400,000 households, the CCGT (from English “combined cycle gas turbine”) is eagerly awaited for securing the supply of electricity to Finistère, especially during peaks of high consumption in the heart of winter. The plant will employ 35 employees, 25 of whom are recruited locally.