McDermott achieves first Fire at Calpine’s 828MW York 2 Energy Center in PA

McDermott International has commissioned units 5 and 6 of the York 2 Energy Center, an 828MW combined-cycle gas power plant located in Pennsylvania.

The York 2 Energy Center project located in Peach Bottom Township is owned by Calpine Mid-Merit, an affiliate of US power generation company Calpine.

McDermott was given an engineering, procurement and construction contract by for the dual-fueled power plant by Calpine in 2014.

The company said that the first fire and steam blows are important milestones for the York 2 Energy Center as they validate its operability.

The York 2 Energy Center in Pennsylvania owned by Calpine. Photo courtesy of McDermott.

McDermott revealed that the start-up team will continue with commissioning works and anticipates the power plant to achieve substantial completion in the first quarter of next year.

Commenting on the York 2 Energy Center milestone, Richard Heo – McDermott Senior Vice President for North, Central and South America, said: “As we mark this project milestone, we are one step closer to delivering a world-class power project for Calpine.

“This combined-cycle project is an excellent example of McDermott’s experience and comprehensive capabilities in providing vertically-integrated solutions for leading power companies in the U.S.”

Co-located with the 565MW York Energy Center owned by Calpine, the York 2 Energy Center features advanced environmental controls. Its combustion turbines, which will mainly utilize clean-burning natural gas, can also operate on ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel oil. According to Calpine, this flexible, dual-fuel capability is increasingly an important factor for ensuring power reliability in the PJM region.

In Pennsylvania, Calpine owns another combined-cycle power plant in the form of the 1130MW Bethlehem Energy Center.