Largest Gas Turbine Ever Built at GE's Belfort, France Plant Begins Journey to Spain
BELFORT, FRANCE - February 22, 2006 - The largest gas turbine ever manufactured by GE Energy at its Belfort plant today began a 30-day journey by land and sea that will take it to a new power plant in Spain.
The first GE Frame 9FB gas turbine built completely in Belfort was loaded onto a special, wide-load truck that will carry the more than 310-ton machine along RN 83 in France from Belfort to Colmar and Strasbourg, a trip that will take about two days. In Strasbourg, the gas turbine will be loaded onto a barge on the Rhine River, for a five-day journey to Rotterdam. There, the machine will be placed onto a ship for a voyage to the seaport of Tarragona in Spain.
The gas turbine's final destination is the Plana del Vent combined-cycle power plant in Vandellos, about 130 kilometers southwest of Barcelona, Spain. The unit being shipped today will be one of two Frame 9FB gas turbines installed at the plant, owned by Gas Natural SDG, SA of Barcelona.
For its road transport to Strasbourg, the truck carrying the gas turbine will require three tractors and a booster tractor, and will be escorted by four state police (CRS) officers. In addition to its huge weight, the machine measures 10 meters in length, 5 in width and 5 in height.
A GE team worked with local and national government entities for the past two years, preparing for this effort. "Belfort city and DDE (Direction Départementale de l'équipment) officials have been very helpful, making the arrangements and granting the permits required to transport this special load," said Yves Menat, general managing director of GE Energy at Belfort. "By assisting such projects, they are encouraging industry and local employment."
In addition to the gas turbines, GE is supplying two steam turbines and generators, two heat recovery steam generators and an integrated control system for the Plana del Vent plant, which will produce more than 800 megawatts of power for the Spanish national grid. The two combined-cycle units are expected to enter commercial operation in June and July 2007, respectively. Natural gas will be the primary fuel, with gas oil as the backup.
In addition to supplying the equipment, GE has signed a 12-year operation and maintenance contract with Gas Natural.
GE's partner for this project, UTE (Union Temporal de Empressa), formed by Tecnicas Reunidas and Ferrovial of Spain, is providing local content including mechanical and electrical balance of plant, civil work, local transportation, erection and commissioning support.
The GE Frame 9FB is the world's most advanced, air-cooled, 50-hertz gas turbine. It is the latest evolutionary step in GE's F technology, which has been proven in more than 14 million hours of commercial operation worldwide.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2005 revenue of $16.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
For more information, contact:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948;
dennis.murphy@ge.com
