TriGeneration Efficient Energy System from Urban Energy

Qantas District Energy Trigeneration System

Project Scope
The new Qantas Corporate Centre is the base for all international and domestic operations and corporate staff at Mascot, and is located adjacent to the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.

Urban Energy was engaged to design, construct, project manage, supply, install and commission an efficient alternative energy system to the facility in order to reduce the carbon emissions, significantly improve security of supply and reduce the running costs for the site and to provide an unprecedented improvement in the site's overall energy efficiency.

The system installed is designed for a 20-year life and is contracted to supply Qantas for that duration.

System Design
The system utilises a modern, highly efficient reciprocating engine prime mover and suitably matched thermal plant to efficiently supply the majority of energy consumed on the campus. This system is designed to operate for 24 hours a day and each component of the system is constantly optimised on an operational and economic basis.

The system:

1. Generates low carbon electricity for use across the precinct.
2. Generates hot water.
3. Generates chilled water for air conditioning.

SPECIFICATIONS
Parallel grid connected 11.8MW natural gas trigeneration system and waste heat recovery system (trigeneration) integrated in an extensive district energy network.

TRIGENERATION SYSTEM
11.8MW cogeneration system
Daily electrical output 177,000 kWh
Yearly electrical output 46,020,000 kWh
Daily thermal output 190,050 kWh
Yearly thermal output 49,413,000 kWh

CHILLED WATER PLANT
4 x exhaust gas fired absorption chillers
2 x hot water fired absorption chiller
2 x HV electric centrifugal chillers
Pumping and reticulation plant for multi-KM thermal network
Daily thermal (cooling) output 145,000 kWh
System efficiency of 88% under standard operating conditions.

CARBON DIOXIDE AND COST SAVINGS
By installing this efficient alternative energy electricity generation and waste heat hybrid system, Qantas has significantly reduced the running costs of the corporate campus and saved significant quantities of carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming.

Saving of 28,000 tonnes CO2 per year compared with grid electricity and gas for heating.

This new trigeneration system reduces the CO2 attributable to the campus by around 40% as well as reducing the running cost of the facility by 10%-20%.