Owned by Huaneng Power International (HPI), the project will be China’s first 1000-megawatt-per-unit power plant, and the first in the country to use ultra-supercritical technologies.

Emerson will engineer and install its Ovation expert control system at the new four-unit, 4000MW plant. Ovation features embedded advanced control algorithms tailored to electricity generation, high-speed Ethernet communications, plant optimisation and a full line of analog, digital and special-purpose turbine and boiler control modules.

Ultra-supercritical plants use advanced “clean coal” technology that allows operation at elevated steam temperatures and pressures. Ultra-supercritical technologies are expected to become more prevalent in China because they can boost coal-based electricity generation’s efficiency by more than 50%, while maintaining superior environmental performance.

The plant will be built in two phases, with the first two units expected to be operational in 2007 with the remaining units scheduled for start-up the following year.

The project will be coordinated and supervised by Emerson’s Power & Water Solutions industry center.

"For this milestone project we were looking for a proven solution that offered superior technology, engineering and support,” said Wu Hechun, Instrument and Controls (I&C) supervisor for HPI.

“Emerson offered the right combination of advanced technologies and technical expertise this significant and high-profile project required.”

The HPI announcement follows last month’s $US7.4m contract with Datang International Power Generation in Fujian province.