Executed by the Techint-SACDE joint venture, the project ramps up the power plant’s electricity generation capabilities by 50%, compared with current production levels

Argentine President Alberto Fernández cut the ribbon for a key expansion work at the Ensenada Barragán Power Plant in the province of Buenos Aires, ushering in a new era for power supply in the province. Flanked by Flavia Royon, Argentine Secretary of Energy, Marcelo Mindlin, the CEO of Pampa Energía, Pablo González, the CEO of YPF, and Mario Secco, the Mayor of Ensenada, President Fernández was also accompanied by authorities from the Techint-SACDE joint venture.

The Barragán Thermoelectric Power Plant is located in the Ensenada petrochemical hub in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires, and belongs to the Pampa Energía-YPF Luz consortium. Techint E&C and SACDE developed an EPC project to close the combined cycle, ramping up generation capacity by 280 MW, so that the plant uses the same amount of fuel to reach an increased output of over 840 MW, enough to power one and a half million homes.

“The plant is already producing electricity at maximum output levels and we have a very important customer, the Pampa-YPF Luz joint venture, that is extremely satisfied with the work we’ve done,” commented Gustavo Gallino, Director General of the Southern Area.

The project to expand the electricity generation capabilities at one of the four largest and most efficient power plants in the country (according to the Ministry of Energy), involved the commissioning of two heat recovery boilers and a steam-driven turbine to fuel the generation equipment. Then there was a series of complementary works, such as the execution of a new water intake channel at the port for Ternium’s Ensenada plant, the construction of an aqueduct, and the installation of a cooling tower.

"Thanks to this project, we can produce more electricity, thus accompanying the process of growth for the country’s entire industrial sector," said Ricardo Gilardoni, Project Manager at the Barragán Thermoelectric Power Plant.

The combined cycle power plant allows waste gases to be reused to create steam, thus producing more electricity. This achieves greater energy efficiency and enables more flexibility for power generation, as the thermal power plant can be fueled by different energy sources, such as natural gas, oil or biomass.

Relevant data:

> Over 1,500 people were working on the project at the peak of work

> Electricity generation capacity went from 560 MW to 847 MW

> The project was divided into four fronts: boilers, turbine buildings, balance of plant (BOP, meaning the interconnection between the boilers and the turbines), and the water and cooling system.