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Marlim Azul Power Plant, first to generate electricity from pre-salt natural gas in Brazil
Brazil’s Marlim Azul thermoelectric plant will reportedly begin commercial operations later this year (2023). This was recently revealed by the joint venture between Pátria Investimentos, Shell and Mitsubishi Power.
Reportedly, the project is currently in its final testing phase.
Marlim Azul Power Plant Project Overview
Marlim Azul Power Plant is also known as Usina Termelétrica Marlim Azul or Vale Azul. It is a 565MW gas-fired power facility that is under construction within the Macaé Logistics and Industrial Complex. The complex is located in the municipality of Macaé, approximately 200km north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is in close proximity to the Cabiunas Terminal (Tecab).
The project was developed by Marlim Azul Energia. The latter is a joint venture (JV) between Mitsubishi Power, Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), and Patria Investments (Patria), where Patria holds 50.1% interest while Shell and Mitsubishi Power own 29.9% and 20%, respectively.
Marlim Azul Power Plant components
The Marlim Azul Power Plant, the cost of construction of which is approximately US$ 600M, will be powered by Mitsubishi’s M501JAC, an air-cooled gas turbine that was launched back in 2012.
Weighing 347t, the M501JAC gas turbine has a rotational speed of 3,600 rpm. It provides a maximum power generating capacity of 435MW in simple-cycle and 630MW in combined-cycle operation wherein it provides the lowest carbon emissions per unit of power.
Other than the turbine, which is said to have an efficiency of more than 64% and a reliability rate of 99.6%, the Marlim Azul Power Plant has other components. These include a steam turbine, generator, boiler, cooling towers, gas station, and water treatment facility.
Ezoic
Upon completion, the Marlim Azul Power Plant shall generate enough electricity to meet the electricity needs of more than two million Brazilian households. it shall utilize natural gas supplied by Shell Brasil Petroleo, a Brazilian subsidiary of Shell, from its deep-water pre-salt basin operations, situated in offshore Brazil.
The gas shall be supplied through a 20km-long gas pipeline from the Cabiunas Onshore Terminal (Tecab), which receives natural gas from the pre-salt through the Route 2 sub-sea natural gas pipeline. |
