Tenaga Nasional Berhad finally gets 1,000MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired plant

Southeast Asia's first USC plant has been successfully running for 2 years.

GE announced the handover of the 1,000MW Manjung 4 power plant to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in Malaysia, following two years of successful commercial operation. GE was the EPC contractor together with its consortium partner CMC Engineering for the power plant and it successfully delivered the project on time and within budget. 

Located in the Manjung complex in the state of Perak, TNB Manjung 4 is South East Asia's first ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant and a critical part of Malaysia's energy diversification policy. Manjung 4 is the single largest unit in South East Asia and produces enough electricity to power nearly two million households.

Manjung 4 was built in four years and commenced commercial operations on 14 April 2015. Using GE’s ultra-supercritical combustion technology, the plant can generate electricity with lower emissions up to 10% more efficiently than the global average of coal fired power plants. Each additional percentage point in efficiency reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 2%, as well as lowering plant operating and overall lifecycle costs.

During its operation, Manjung 4 has met or exceeded original performance commitments to deliver more value to TNB. In addition to its efficiency, the plant has also achieved extremely high availability, particularly during the second year of operation. The plant has achieved 94.5% availability in its first two years of operation, exceeding its target rate while allowing TNB to reliably deliver full base load to the grid.

“The energy demands of South East Asia are growing and coal remains a vital part of the energy mix. By bringing reliable, affordable, and efficient solutions to the Manjung 4 plant, we have proven that coal can continue to play an essential role in meeting the region’s growing energy needs reliably and sustainably. Manjung 4 represents the latest step in the evolution of coal-powered plants and demonstrates the potential for ultra-supercritical technology to lower emissions while responding to growing energy demands across South East Asia.” said Andreas Lusch, President and CEO, GE Steam Power Systems.

Manjung 4 has sophisticated environmental control technology to significantly reduce SO2 and NOx emissions up to 70% compared to other Manjung units. GE’s Seawater Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) system achieves more than 90% SO2 removal, setting Manjung 4 at 200mg/Nm3 which is significantly below World Bank standards of 750 mg/Nm3.