GE Energy Provides CHP Systems to Support Ski Resorts, Businesses and Homes in Torino, Italy Region
JENBACH, AUSTRIA - January 16, 2006 - GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business has provided five cogeneration units for three new power plants supporting parts of the city of Torino and nearby ski resort villages in Italy. The northern Italian city is hosting the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in February 2006.
While GE's combined heat and power (CHP) systems will operate during the Olympic Games, which open in February 2006, they also will continue to operate after the Games end by providing, reliable and cost-effective power to surrounding businesses and residential areas and supporting the region's economic growth.
For the first CHP project, installed in the northern end of Torino, GE provided one JMS 320 GS-N.LC cogeneration system. The Jenbacher unit, fueled by natural gas, generates 1.06 MW of electricity and 1.26 MW of thermal output, and features a total efficiency of 87%.
While the plant is linked to the district heating system of the Olympic Village, its electricity will later be used to support a shopping center and residential community. The CHP system was commissioned in late October 2005. STC Atel S.p.A. of Forlì, Italy was the EPC, and the unit was installed on behalf of the French energy services company Elyo Italia, a subsidiary of SUEZ Group.
For the second and third projects, GE supplied Metanalpi Sestriere SRL of Torino with four Jenbacher CHP systems, which Metanalpi installed in the ski resort villages of Cesana San Sicario and Pragelato in the Italian Alps. Both sites are approximately 1,700 meters above sea level.
The Cesana San Sicario plant features two JMS 320 GS-N.LC cogeneration
systems fueled by natural gas. Each unit generates 1.01 MW of electricity and 1.18 MW of thermal output, with a total efficiency of 86.2%.
The Pragelato plant is powered by two JMS 316 GS-N.LC units. Each natural
gas-fueled system generates 710 kW of electricity and 877 kW of thermal output, with a total efficiency of 86.1%.
The Cesana San Sicario plant was commissioned in November 2005 and the
Pragelato system in December 2005.
The two ski resort power plants are linked to the region 's district heating system. After the Games, the electricity will be fed into the public grid.
These new plants are the latest onsite power projects in Torino for GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. In 2004, GE provided six Jenbacher engines for a landfill methane gas-to-energy plant at the Basse di Stura landfill, one of Italy's most powerful landfill energy projects. Italy is encouraging the development of landfill energy plants to help reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to a successful Games. From providing power, lighting, security and modular space solutions at Olympic venues to supplying ultrasound and MRI equipment to help doctors treat athletes, GE works closely with the
Organizing Committees, local municipalities and other Olympic Partners to understand their needs and then deliver solutions that only GE can. NBC Universal, a division of GE, is the exclusive U.S. media partner of the Games. The GE and NBC Universal partnerships extend through 2012.
Based in Jenbach, Austria, GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business is a global manufacturer of reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration units. Jenbacher engines run on natural gas and various "specialty gases" created from landfills, coal mines, sewage sludge and industrial wastes.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenue of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
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For more information, contact:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
(678) 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
Ken Darling or Tom Murnane
Masto Public Relations
(518) 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com
tom.murnane@mastopr.com
