Centrax Ltd
Centrax Limited is a privately owned company based in Newton Abbot, Devon in the South West of England. The company was founded in 1946 by Richard H H Barr OBE and the late Geoffrey R White after both worked with Sir Frank Whittle in the Power Jets Design Team during the 1940`s - pioneering the use of the gas turbine for use in aircraft propulsion. Centrax Gas Turbines specializes in the manufacture and service of gas turbine powered generator sets ranging from 3.9 MW to 66 MW that use core engines from Siemens. The generator sets are used mainly for combined heat and power but also in base load, simple cycle and standby applications. Centrax Gas Turbines is a global company, with a broad customer base throughout the world and employs approximately 250 people.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Energy - Power Distribution
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
About Us
The main application is gas turbine Combined Heat and Power (CHP) / Cogeneration. In this configuration heat recovery from the gas turbine exhaust improves plant efficiency to greater than 85%.
Centrax comprises two manufacturing divisions - the Gas Turbine Division (GTD) and Turbine Components Limited (TCL), employing approximately 700 people including European depots.
Centrax generator sets incorporate the following gas turbines:
- Siemens 501 KB5 and KB7
- Siemens 300 and 400
- Siemens Trent 60 WLE and Trent 60 DLE
All of the Centrax power generation packages operate in a wide range of environmental and ambient conditions - designed to function in very high and very low temperatures (-50ºC and below).
Our Mission
The mission of Centrax Limited is:
To produce high quality products and installations which meet or exceed customer expectations, in and beyond Europe, and to support them with excellent customer service. This will be achieved within a culture of enthusiasm and continual Improvement.
This mission will be implemented using a Quality Management System approved to ISO 9001:2008 standards. To ensure continual improvement, Quality Objectives will be reviewed at regular intervals by senior management and will be cascaded down throughout the organisation.
The Company will ensure its products and installations comply with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
The Company also recognises its responsibility to employees and the environment. It is committed to employing best practice in health and safety at work** which meets or exceeds national requirements, and to maintaining an Environmental Management System approved to ISO 14001standards.
** Centrax is working towards approval under the OHSAS 18001 and aims to have obtained approval by the end of 2018.
Quality
Compliance With European Directives
All Centrax generator packages sold for service in Europe carry the CE mark indicating compliance with relevant directives at point of sale. Each package is issued with a declaration of conformity. Where required by the directives, third party approvals by relevant nominated bodies (e.g. Lloyd’s) are included in the declaration. The packages are compliant with the following list of harmonised European standards:
- Low Voltage Equipment (LVD) - 2006/95/EEC
- Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) - 2004/108/EEC
- Machinery - 2006/42/EEC
- Potentially Explosive Atmospheres (ATEX) - 94/9/EC
- Pressurised Equipment (PED) - 2014/68/EU
Centrax Limited is approved to ISO 9001:2008 - the international standard of quality assurance and ISO 14001 - the international standard for environmental management.
Russian Certification and Approvals
Centrax have certification and approvals to fulfil the relevant standards and requirements to operate the Centrax generator package in Russia. These approvals include:
- GOST R - required for all parts entering Russia (Centrax generator package)
- RTN - permission to operate hazardous equipment (Centrax generator package)
- EX GOST R - parts within the hazardous area
- Metrology - ensures that measuring equipment is fit for use
- GOST R with EMS standards - required for parts that emit electromagnetic signals
- Fire safety
- State Registration (Sanitary)
What is Cogeneration?
Gas Turbine-Powered Cogeneration / CHP
Cogeneration, also known as Combined Heat and Power (CHP), is the production of electricity and heat from a single fuel source. Powered by a gas turbine, a cogeneration system is a highly efficient way of capturing heat which would otherwise be lost during the production of electricity and converts it into useful thermal energy.
A cogeneration system is both flexible and reliable and because of its efficient use of energy, industrial-scale cogeneration/CHP is more economical and environmentally attractive than conventional fossil fuel power plants. A gas turbine-powered cogeneration plant using generator sets manufactured by Centrax can be located close to electricity consumers, thereby reducing transmission line losses.
The Benefits of Cogeneration/Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
- The installation of cogeneration or CHP offers big increases in overall plant efficiency (up to 85% efficiency is frequent).
- Efficiency gains result in cost savings.
- Reduced impact on the environment with cleaner fuel (usually natural gas).
- All-in-one energy system which is not as susceptible to outages or interruption associated with a local utility.
As an energy generation process, cogeneration / CHP is fuel neutral. This means that a CHP process can be applied to both renewable and fossil fuels. The specific technologies employed and the efficiencies they achieve will vary, but in every situation CHP offers the capability to make more efficient and effective use of valuable primary energy resources. CHP plants generally meet local energy needs; certainly heat, also power and increasingly cooling.