| Combined cycle Mitsubishi Power gas turbine. Photo: Mitsubishi Power
review plant performance, operating trends, and evolving market conditions. At the same time, the wider market environment is reinforcing the value of long- term service planning. New thermal power projects in EMEA face extended lead times for CCGT delivery and rising construction costs. Against this backdrop, targeted maintenance and upgrades can often deliver meaningful gains in reliability, efficiency, and operational performance without the cost and complexity associated with developing new capacity.
Maximising asset longevity in an uncertain energy environment As the EMEA energy mix continues to evolve, operators are placing greater emphasis on extending the useful life of existing assets. This is not simply about keeping plants operational for longer, but about ensuring they remain commercially and technically relevant within a changing power system.
Targeted upgrades are enabling power plants to retain greater strategic control. Control system modernisation, steam turbine upgrades, and selective component replacements can improve reliability, flexibility, and operational performance, while extending asset life. In many cases, upgrades also help older assets adapt to changing operational requirements. Plants originally designed for more stable running patterns are now expected to start and stop more frequently, ramp output more rapidly, and respond quickly to fluctuations in renewable generation. These conditions place additional stress on equipment, making proactive maintenance and modernisation increasingly critical. Digital technologies are also shaping how service strategies are developed and implemented. Advanced monitoring systems, predictive maintenance tools, and data-driven analytics have become essential for identifying potential issues early, reducing unplanned outages, and optimising maintenance intervals.
This enables operators to make more informed decisions while improving asset reliability and availability. Another important trend is the growing interest in future fuel flexibility. Across the industry, operators are exploring ways to prepare gas turbines for hydrogen blending and other lower-carbon fuel pathways. While the pace of adoption will vary across markets, many asset owners are already considering how current maintenance and upgrade decisions can support longer-term decarbonisation strategies. Perhaps the most significant benefit of strategic maintenance, however, lies in ensuring that CCGTs continue to support overall system stability. As renewable penetration increases, the critical flexibility and backup capacity of dispatchable gas-fired generation cannot be underestimated. This is why maintaining and upgrading existing CCGT assets is increasingly viewed as one of the most practical and cost-effective ways to preserve dispatchable capacity while supporting broader energy security objectives.
Case study: Damhead Creek The modern approach to service is exemplified by the Damhead Creek power station in the United Kingdom.
Damhead Creek, commissioned in 2001, is an 812 MW 2-on-1 natural-gas-fired combined cycle power plant with air cooled condenser located on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, England. It employs two Mitsubishi Power M701F gas turbines. After purchasing the plant in 2021, VPI signed a service agreement with Mitsubishi Power to deliver a major programme of investment in the site to improve its efficiency and reliability. This included maintenance, asset management, parts supply and remote monitoring services for the gas turbines, alongside the implementation of an upgraded reliability package. The turbines at the plant were originally delivered by Mitsubishi Power in 2000. The upgraded reliability package incorporates multiple elements to enhance start up performance, improve operational
efficiency and increase overall reliability, including control system modernisation. The completion of the upgraded reliability package will ensure that the plant is able to deliver power in a more efficient and more reliable way for years to come, while supporting the integration of more renewable energy sources.
The evolution of the asset In summary, the power sector is increasingly moving towards a model where optimisation takes priority over replacement. In Europe existing assets are expected to carry a growing share of flexibility requirements while operating within increasingly dynamic energy systems. This is changing the way operators think about long-term asset management. Maintenance is no longer a one-time operational exercise, but an ongoing process that evolves alongside the plant, the market, and the wider energy transition. The value of a CCGT asset today depends not only on its technical condition, but also on how effectively it can adapt to changing system needs. Reliability, flexibility, efficiency, and responsiveness are becoming interconnected drivers of long-term competitiveness. For many operators, targeted upgrades and carefully planned maintenance programmes offer a more cost-effective route to preserving dispatchable capacity than investing in entirely new thermal generation assets. A focused control system upgrade or component replacement can often deliver meaningful improvements in availability and operational flexibility at a fraction of the cost of new-build infrastructure.
As electricity systems become increasingly reliant on a combination of renewable energy, energy storage, and flexible thermal generation, this trend will continue. Maintenance strategy will remain a critical factor in determining how successfully existing assets continue to support both commercial objectives and wider energy system reliability.
www.modernpowersystems.com | May/June 2026 | 29
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