A cogeneration plant will provide reliable electricity and thermal energy for a major urban revitalisation initiative in Dandenong, Victoria.
A cogeneration plant will provide reliable electricity and thermal energy for a major urban revitalisation initiative in Dandenong, Victoria – the VicUrban-led Revitalising Central Dandenong (RCD) initiative that is rejuvenating the south-east region of Melbourne.
The plant is set to dramatically reduce the emissions and energy use of the Dandenong Commercial District by reducing its reliance on energy from the grid. It is expected to save the equivalent of about 9900 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, which equals the removal of more than 5500 cars from the road.
The plant will also have the capacity to produce surplus hot water, which project owner, Cogent Energy, will then sell back to local commercial buildings to provide cooling via building owner-supplied absorption chillers.
One of GE’s natural gas-fired Jenbacher gas engines will be powering this plant. The collaboration marks GE’s first urban district energy project in Australia. Clarke Energy Australia, GE’s authorised distributor for Jenbacher gas engines in Australia, will supply Cogent Energy with a 2 megawatt, J612 Jenbacher cogeneration unit for Phase 1 of the new power facility, which could be expanded to 6 megawatts.
“Helping central Dandenong transform itself into a vibrant, 21st century retail and services district will require a reliable, cleaner, cost-effective supply of energy to meet the growing needs of the area’s business and residential communities,” says Blair Healy, manager of Cogent Energy. “GE’s Jenbacher technology offers the optimal energy efficiency we required to make this project successful.”
GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are designed to run solely on a variety of gases, which results in high levels of generator efficiency, reliability and environmental performance, according to the company.
