GE's High-Performing Advanced Gas Path Solution Expanded to 9E, 9F-3 Gas Turbine Fleets and will Deliver More Power to Growing Middle East Region and Beyond
GE’s 9E and 9F-3 Advanced Gas Path Solutions Deliver Industry-Leading Upgrade Performance Upgrade Technology Marks First of Its Kind Available in Both Gas Turbine Class Sizes
Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) is the First GE Customer to Invest in 9E AGP Technology, Upgrading Three Gas Turbines in Dubai
Solutions Developed from Experience, Data-Driven Insights from GE’s Proven 7F-3 AGP Technology
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — GE (NYSE: GE) announced today the expansion of its high-performance Advanced Gas Path (AGP) portfolio to its 9E and 9F-3 gas turbine customers operating in Middle East energy markets and around the globe. This technology, which is proven to deliver industry-leading upgrade performance, marks the first of its kind available for comparably sized gas turbine assets in both classes. GE made the announcement today at its Powering Efficiency Forum, a thought leadership summit focused on meeting future Middle East energy efficiency needs. Attendees included key power generation representatives, industry leaders and government officials from across the Gulf region.
“GE’s AGP technology exemplifies the levels of flexibility and performance our customers demand to remain competitive in both growing and mature energy markets around the world,” said Steve Hartman, general manager of life cycle engineering for GE’s Power Generation business. “With a number of markets in the Middle East region ranking near the top of expected global energy demand growth over the next decade, these solutions can play an integral role in helping our customers meet these future needs by unlocking the full potential of their existing assets.”
With 121 AGP systems sold and 50 already in operation on GE 7F-3 gas turbines around the globe, this proven solution can now unleash higher performance for GE customers with installed assets such as:
9F-3
Output increase up to 6 percent**
Fuel efficiency increase up to 2 percent**
Maintenance intervals as long as 32,000 hours (extending outage intervals up to 33 percent)**
9E
Output increase up to 3.8 percent**
Fuel efficiency increase up to .9 percent**
Maintenance intervals as long as 32,000 hours/1,300 starts (extending outage intervals up to 33 percent)**
Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL), which powers one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters with a 2,350-megawatt power station, marks the first GE customer to integrate AGP technology into its installed 9E gas turbines. In April 2013, DUBAL installed the AGP solution on one GE 9E unit to help expand the performance of its power station’s output, efficiency and maintenance intervals. Since completion of the upgrade, DUBAL has experienced an output increase of 3.4 percent, which is generating 5.88 additional MW while improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent.
Under the same order with GE, DUBAL will upgrade two additional 9E units with AGP technology beginning in November 2013. Across all three units, the site expects to increase its output capacity by approximately 17.64 MW, reduce its fuel use by 1.5 percent and extend its maintenance intervals out to 32,000 hours, the equivalent of approximately one additional year of operation. These performance advancements will position the facility to increase its production of aluminium while also reducing its operating costs.
In September, ENKA, which generates more than 13 percent of electricity for Turkey, placed the first order for GE’s 9F-3 AGP technology for 10 of its gas turbines at the Gebze, Adapazar and Ãzmir power plants. The upgrades are expected to deliver a total of up to 150 additional MW of power, enough to generate electricity for more than 200,000 additional households in Turkey.
AGP technology advancements feature hardware design and materials improvements to the components of GE’s gas turbine hot gas path system. These innovations are coupled with GE’s OpFlex* advanced controls software to expand gas turbine performance and enable GE customers to operate their power plants more dynamically. The AGP’s hardware and software technologies were developed based on data insights gained through analysis of GE’s more than 100 million hours of operating data on its global gas turbine fleet of more than 1,600 monitored units.
Middle Eastern power generation entities are expected to experience significant energy demand growth over the next several decades. By 2040, demand in the Middle East is projected to expand by 76 percent[1. At the same time, natural gas-fired power generation is expected to surpass oil-based fuel sources in the region by 2040, with a projected decline from 34 percent to 14 percent in oil-fired power generation during the period1. GE’s AGP technology enables customers with existing gas turbine assets in rapidly growing economies including the Middle East to expand their power capacities without investing in new infrastructure or to complement new power plant construction.
GE’s 9E and 9F-3 AGP technologies have been adapted from GE’s proven 7F-3 AGP solution. GE customers around the globe currently are operating 7F-3 AGP technology to address a wide scope of regional market dynamics:
Korea Southern Power Company, Ltd. installed two AGP systems at its Pusan plant in 2012 to generate 25 MW of additional power needed for growing electricity demand and to expand the region’s low reserve margin of power.
TransCanada Energy Ltd.’s Ravenswood power plant in New York, U.S., expanded its output by 7 percent with the AGP solution, enough to power 10,000 additional households in New York City by upgrading just one gas turbine. TransCanada’s MacKay River cogeneration facility in Alberta, Canada, has improved its operational availability using AGP technology to support its customer’s nearly 24-hour-a-day manufacturing cycle. The site also has maintained its low emissions footprint to remain aligned with Alberta’s clean energy policies.
Calpine Corporation’s Los Medanos and Pastoria plants in California, U.S., and Westbrook facility in Maine, U.S., have experienced a 5.5 percent output increase since installing AGP technology on six GE gas turbines. They also have experienced an approximately 1 percent improvement in site heat rates. This performance has better positioned the plants to bid more competitively for power demand as well as capitalize on opportunities to capture additional revenue.
IBERDROLA, Mexico’s leading private power generation company, installed AGP upgrades on eight units at its TAMAZUNCHALE and Altamira V plants to better manage operational costs including fuel consumption. Additionally, the output gained from the upgrades has enabled IBERDROLA to increase its operational revenue by winning more bids for power in the region.
AGP technology has qualified for GE’s ecomagination portfolio. This technology enables GE customers to reduce fuel consumption as well as emissions while operating with the flexibility they need amid shifting market conditions. Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to imagine and build innovative solutions to today’s environmental challenges while driving economic growth.
The AGP solution is offered through GE’s FlexEfficiency* Advantage for F-Class gas turbine and LifeMax* Advantage for B/E-Class gas turbine platforms. These portfolios deliver hardware- and software-blended solutions that enable GE customers to unleash the full performance and value of their existing assets.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Products, Power Generation Services, Renewable Energy and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.
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*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.
**Performance varies depending on gas turbine frame type and configuration.
[1 According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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