Doosan Heavy Eyes Power Plant Market in Australia
By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, South Korea’s biggest power equipment provider, has taken an impressive step to bolster its presence in Australia’s niche power plant market.
On Thursday, Doosan said it received a $100 million order to upgrade four turbine generators in Australia by 2011. Work will begin in December 2009 on the turbine generators in four coal-fired plants operated by Eraring Energy in New South Wales, about 150 kilometers northeast of Sydney, according to the company.
The contract is the first of its kind a South Korean company has won in the Australian market.
``Japanese firms account for over 90 percent in the coal-fired Australian power plant market. What we need is to penetrate a specific and profitable sector,’’ said Bae Kyun-ho, the company’s deputy general manager.
With the improvement, the official said, the capacity of the power plant will increase to 750 megawatts from the current 660 megawatts and its expected operating span will be lengthened by 25 years.
``In response to strengthened environmental regulations and increased cost efficiency, moves to change some key parts in power plants are accelerating,’’ the official said. Doosan is set to advance into Indian and Middle Eastern power plant markets.
On Tuesday, Doosan won a $202.4 million contract to manufacture turbine generators from General Electric International with the delivery date set for Dec. 31, 2010.
South Korean builders, including Doosan, won $35.5 billion worth of orders during the first 11 months of the year, buoyed by rising oil prices and Middle Eastern nations’ increased spending on power-generation facilities.