AES Gener Wins International EEI Edison Award

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Jun 04, 2012, 03:29 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AES Gener has been named the international recipient of the 85th Annual EEI Edison Award, the electric utility industry's most prestigious honor, for their distinguished leadership, innovation and contribution to the advancement of the electric industry for the benefit of all.

AES Gener was recognized with the International Edison Award for announcing the early completion of construction and initiation of commercial operations of the 545 MW (gross) Angamos coal-fired power plant in northern Chile. It is the third time in the last 6 years that an AES Corporation subsidiary has received this award.

"AES Gener made the completion of the Angamos coal-fired power plant one of its highest priorities, and in doing so, illustrated the kind of contributions our industry is capable of making to customers," EEI President Thomas R. Kuhn said. "By crafting and completing such an innovative power plant that maintains a high level of environmental performance, AES Gener has continued its dedication to excellence in service and performance."

"We are very proud of AES Gener for winning this prestigious award. The Angamos project combines low-cost, reliable power with our innovative lithium ion batteries to increase available capacity and efficiency," said Andres Gluski, President and CEO of AES. "By delivering innovative projects such as Angamos, AES helps meet a growing demand for affordable energy in the markets we serve."

The Angamos plant is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. Its need was facilitated by a decline in natural gas supplies to the region at the same time that demand for reliable baseload generation was increasing for local mining activities. Construction of the plant presented many challenges, such as the application of new technologies and an aggressive construction timeline, but was completed ahead of schedule and utilized award-winning financing.

Efficiency and reliability are boosted at the plant by the utilization of a 20 MW lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS). Angamos is the first hybrid coal plant in the world which uses batteries of this scale. The system eliminates the need for spinning reserves and increases the total output of the plant.

The plant is also equipped with the most modern environmental controls and emissions-reducing equipment exceeding local standards for noise limits, air emissions and discharges into the sea. The plant is the first of its kind in South America to use a seawater cooling tower, which serves as a model for other seaside plants with limited access to the fresh water needed for electricity generation.

The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies. Our members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry. We also have more than 65 International electric companies as Affiliate members, and more than 170 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate members.

SOURCE Edison Electric Institute