GE Advanced Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Technology to Help Israel Meet Its Urgent Power Needs
o GE Has $200 Million Deal for Landmark 800-MW Dorad Energy Plant
o 12 GE Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Packages Shipped to Site
o Plant to Supply 8 Percent of Total Electric Capacity and Play Key Role in Ensuring Reliability of Israel's Electric System
ASHKELON, ISRAEL and HOUSTON, TEXAS - GE (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has shipped 12 LM6000-PC Sprint(TM) aeroderivative gas turbine-generators to the Dorad Energy power plant in Ashkelon, Israel, to fulfill part of its $200 million contract with Wood Group GTS. The plant will play a critical role in enhancing the reliability of Israel's electric system and will be the largest, and one of the first, independent power plants built in Israel since the country deregulated its electricity markets several years ago.
GE expects the 50-megawatt aeroderivative units to begin commercial operation in the second half of 2013. GE's Veresegyház plant, located near Budapest, Hungary, is manufacturing the gas turbine-generators. The Veresegyház plant began operating in 2000 and serves as the foundation of GE's turbine component production in the Central European region.
"Israel's goals in deregulating the power industry were to increase electricity supplies, decrease prices and spur technological innovation, and we are proud to be one of the first tangible results of that plan," said Eli Asulin, general manager, Dorad Energy. "GE is a vital part of that process. GE is not just a supplier of advanced technology but also is a global business leader that understands the many business opportunities we face and works with us as a true partner to help us take advantage of them."
Israel's electric system has minimal reserve margin, or additional capacity at times of high use, and when power demand is extremely high, the potential exists for supply disruptions. GE's LM6000-PC Sprint aeroderivative gas turbine-generators are high-output, high-efficiency units that will be configured so that blocks of them can be turned on and off quickly, with no losses in energy efficiency. This provides both operational flexibility and the unique capability to maintain net plant efficiency in all modes of operation. The plant is a combined-cycle design, meaning it uses hot exhaust from the GE gas turbines to generate steam to power two steam turbine-generators, further increasing plant output at higher efficiencies.
"GE's innovative LM6000-PC Sprint technology solves the problem of how to deliver or remove large amounts of power quickly in response to changing conditions, with the same efficiencies and economics that are found in baseload operation," said Darryl Wilson, vice president-aeroderivative gas turbines for GE Power & Water. "The power produced by these units will help to stabilize the power system upon which Israel's economy depends, and their efficiency and suitability for baseload, cycling or peaking operation will enable Dorad Energy to maximize revenue opportunities."
GE's agreement is with Wood Group GTS, which is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for Dorad Energy. A unit of John Wood Group PLC, Wood Group GTS also is supplying the steam turbine-generators and related equipment.
End users from various sectors and the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) will purchase the power produced by the plant, and the IEC network will transmit and distribute it. Because of its critical importance, the plant will have the capability of using two different fuels, primarily natural gas but also oil distillates if required.
Customers prefer GE to support Israel's energy infrastructure. For example: within the last six months, GE has received contracts to provide an additional four LM6000 units for various power plant projects in Israel that will be located at Ramle, Ashdod and Ramat Negev, which will increase the total installed base of LM6000 gas turbines in Israel to 17 units.
In a changing world with diverse power needs, GE's portfolio of innovative distributed power solutions, ranging from 100 kilowatts to 100 megawatts, gives businesses and communities around the world the ability to generate reliable and efficient power using a variety of fuels anywhere, whether on or off the grid. GE's distributed power solutions gives customers of all types-from industrial businesses, to developing communities, to government officials managing disaster relief and other emergency power situations-the ability to generate reliable, sustainable power whenever and wherever it is needed. GE's distributed power portfolio includes GE aeroderivative gas turbines, Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines and waste heat recovery solutions.
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Rick Goins
GE Energy
Mobile: +1 281 740 1422
Email: richard.goins@ge.com
