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PEORIA, Ill., Aug. 5, 2003 -- Caterpillar Inc. has announced the sale of five of the company's largest gas-fired engines to supply energy for a new electrical power plant in Geneva, Illinois, located 40 miles west of Chicago.
The $18 million project involves construction of a 29-megawatt power plant capable of providing critical peak power for up to 40,000 homes. The plant is scheduled to open in January 2004.
The city of Geneva will own and operate the natural gas powered plant designed to generate electricity during periods of peak electrical demand. The plant will help the city maintain reasonable electric rates by supplementing power purchased from the existing electricity grid through external generation utilities. It will offer clean, efficient distributed power close to homes and businesses while protecting the city against price volatility in the electricity market.
"We are pleased to have won this competitive contract, the first of its kind in a growing market opportunity for Caterpillar," said Glen Barton, Caterpillar Chairman and CEO. "As North America's energy needs increase, many cities face critical power shortages and unpredictable pricing during peak periods of electrical usage. Caterpillar products offer better fuel efficiency, lower operating costs and are backed by an unparalleled dealer network."
"This new power plant will offer residents and businesses of our city a higher quality of life by providing reliable and more affordable power during extreme weather conditions," said Kevin Burns, Mayor of Geneva, Illinois. "We examined several suppliers and were most impressed with the operating cost and reliability of Caterpillar products as well as the support of the company's dealer network."
The new plant will be powered by five Caterpillar G16CM34 gas-fired reciprocating engines, manufactured by Caterpillar Motoren in Kiel, Germany. Each engine weighs more than 300,000 pounds, and measures 40 feet long, 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Stacked together, the five engines would stand nearly eight stories tall. The engines have arrived in Geneva and will be installed as part of the current construction phase.
HWS Energy Partners LLC of Champaign, Illinois, developed the project. Industrial Technology Group Inc., also of Champaign, Illinois, will handle design engineering and project management. Caterpillar dealer Altorfer Inc. facilitated the sale, and product support will come from Patten Power Systems, the Caterpillar dealer serving the Chicago area.
For more than 75 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been building the world's infrastructure and, in partnership with its worldwide dealer network, is driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2002 sales and revenues of $20.15 billion, Caterpillar is a technology leader and the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. More information is available at http://www.cat.com .
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