Doosan Škoda wins third deal in Czechia gas-fired overhaul

Turbine manufacturer Doosan Škoda Power has won its third contract at the Opatovice Power Plant in Čeperka, Czechia.

This contract aims to modernise Unit 6 of the plant and will see Doosan Škoda Power supply a new condensing turbine and condenser, repair the existing generator, install new district water heaters, and provide a complete solution for piping and steel structures.

Opatovice Power Plant, owned and operated by Czech energy company Elektrarny Opatovice AS, produces heat and electricity to nearly 63,000 customers across the East Bohemia region.

“The most challenging aspect was devising a comprehensive solution that would both increase the operational efficiency of Unit TG6 and respect the spatial limitations of the existing machine hall,” explained Ladislav Szőcs, Sales Manager at Doosan Škoda Power. “A crucial factor was also the need to adhere to a very demanding schedule for the planned outage of the district water heating system.”

The Pilsen-based firm was initially awarded the contract to modernise the first cogeneration unit (TG5) at Opatovice Power Plant in 2019. This was executed during a planned outage in 2020.

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This was followed three years later by another contract for the replacement of the TG3 turbine.

These projects form part of an ongoing modernisation mission at the Opatovice Power Plant to phase out coal-fired operations and replace them with gas-fired combined cycle solutions.

According to Doosan Škoda Power, this has included the renewal of key steam turbines in the TG machine hall, which are designed to operate both in the current coal-fired mode and in natural gas-fired operations.

Adopting this approach will ensure a stable supply throughout the modernisation process.

Jan Burýšek, Strategic Development Specialist at Opatovice Power Plant commented in a statement: “The power plant is now entering the final crucial stage of machine hall modernization – the replacement of the TG6 turbine, which ensures the second heating stage and will also be ready for future combined cycle operation.

“The modernization of the machine hall is a key pillar of our transition to low-emission operations. It ensures higher efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and, crucially, stable heat supplies for the entire region,” added Burýšek.

Burýšek explained that all three contracts were awarded to the same supplier to ensure technical uniformity and operational reliability across all three turbines.