Bechtel has completed the Panda Temple I Generating Station in Temple, Texas, two weeks ahead of schedule. The 758MW natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power facility is owned by Panda Power Funds and boasts advanced emissions control technology that makes it one of the cleanest plants in the nation.
"The early completion of this plant is critically important to the state and to the community of Temple--especially now, when Texas is growing by more than a thousand people a day," said Todd Carter, president and senior partner of Panda Power Funds. "The plant provides a reliable source of electricity that is capable of quickly supplying power when sources of renewable energy like wind and solar are not available."
The Temple I Generating Station is one of the fastest-starting power plants of its kind in the country. The combustion turbines can synchronize in 10 minutes and reach full load within 30 minutes. The entire plant can achieve full power production within 60 minutes.
As part of a consortium, Bechtel provided project management, engineering, procurement, construction, and startup services, while Siemens provided the power-island package, including the natural gas and steam turbines, generators, and waste-heat-recovery boilers. About 70% of the project's subcontractors and 80% of Bechtel's craft workers were from Texas.
