Bechtel, Siemens to Build 778-MW Natural Gas Plant in Loudoun County

Bechtel and Siemens Energy Inc. announced Monday the companies will lead the construction of a 778-megawatt natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power plant in Loudoun County.

Dallas-based private-equity firm Panda Power Funds is funding the construction of the 101-acre Panda Stonewall Power Project, The Washington Post reports.

Located 4 miles southeast of Leesburg, the plant is expected to open in the spring of 2017 and will generate enough electricity to support 778,000 homes in the region.

The project is also expected to generate about 600 construction jobs and 30 long-term jobs following the plant’s completion, according to county officials.

Loudoun County officials announced the project last fall, noting the plant would

The Stonewall Power Project is expected to be one of the cleanest and most efficient in the nation, according to Bechtel. The plant will use advanced emissions-control technology and use reclaimed municipal wastewater from Leesburg to cool the plant.

Panda Power said has raised $571 million in funding for the Stonewall project and is funding the plant’s construction through a mix of equity and capital raised from institutional investors.

Bechtel will provide construction, engineering, project management and startup services while Siemens will provide generators, waste-heat recovery boilers and natural gas and steam turbines, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Image: The 778 MW Panda Stonewall Generating Station. Courtesy of Panda Power Funds