Marking a major milestone in the transformation of its power supply and rebuilding of its coastal power plants, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has received delivery and begun installing turbines and generators for the first three of a planned six new power generating units at its Haynes Generating Station in Long Beach.

As the Department progresses in the repowering project at Haynes, and the first round of heavy equipment deliveries nears conclusion, officials recently conducted a site visit and inspection tour of the high-powered, fast-start generating equipment that is at the heart of this massive undertaking.

At a recent inspection tour, LADWP General Manager Ronald O. Nichols said that modernizing and rebuilding Haynes Generating Station is a major step in LADWP's power transformation, which will involve replacing about 70 percent of LADWP's existing power generation with renewables, energy efficiency, and more efficient and flexible natural gas generators.

"While we aim to significantly increase our renewable energy portfolio, we can't rely on the wind to blow or sun to shine 24/7," Nichols said. "So we need to balance the renewables with other strategies to integrate green power in a smart, cost-effective manner that ensures continued reliability at competitive rates for our customers."

Enter the Haynes Repowering Project, a $782 million, two-year effort to replace two 1960s-era generating units with six GE 100-megawatt rapid-start, gas-fired combustion turbines.

"These are state-of-the-art machines that can ramp up to full load in just 10 minutes. So when the sun isn't shining and wind isn't blowing, we'll still be generating power," Nichols said.

In addition to supporting renewable energy and improving reliability, the new units will be cooled without ocean water by using "dry cooling" structures. The units are the first of several at LADWP's three coastal generating plants being rebuilt to eliminate ocean water cooling over the next 17 years under an agreement with the State Water Board.

Since mid-March, three 190-ton turbines, 182-ton generators and 100-ton dry cooling towers have been delivered to Haynes. The second round of three turbines, generators and cooling towers will be delivered and installed later this summer. The new units are expected to be in operation in June 2013.

"Repowering Haynes Generating Station moves forward the transformation of LA's power supply, making it more efficient, flexible and reliable," said Aram Benyamin, Senior Assistant General Manager of the LADWP Power System.

"It also supports over 350 jobs for LADWP and Kiewit Construction employees, which fuel our local economy."

Haynes Generating Station is a natural gas and steam power plant built in the mid-1960s to accommodate a growing population. The station currently has seven power generating units with a combined capacity of 1,600 megawatts- enough to power approximately 1 million homes.