Ge Energy's Jenbacher Engines for Steel-Waste Gases Reach Million Operating Hours-Milestone
JENBACH, AUSTRIA - November 10, 2006 - GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines fueled by steel industry waste gases in Spain recently reached a combined total of one million operating hours, underscoring GE's technological expertise and the country's commitment to reducing emissions and increasing the production of alternative energy.
A total of 26 Jenbacher gas engines, installed at three sites in northern Spain, are utilizing either coke oven gas or LD-converter gas - steel industry specialty gases - as fuel.
By using Jenbacher gas engines to tap into an available energy source, steel factories are able to control and reduce their energy costs. In addition, by utilizing these "free" waste gases compared to using natural gas for power generation, the three Jenbacher-technology equipped sites have achieved CO2 emission savings of about two million tons since commissioning.
In general, steel production processes typically create large volumes of specialty waste gases. Coke oven gas, generated during the processing of bituminous coal into coke in coke oven batteries, mainly consists of hydrogen and methane. Meanwhile, LD-converter gas - with its main component carbon monoxide - is created during the Linz Donawitz (LD) steel manufacturing process that converts pig iron to steel.
Characterized by varying compositions as well as calorific values and combustion behavior, the optimal use of these specialty gases as fuel requires a special engine design provided by GE's Jenbacher gas engines.
In the past, operators had mainly used these steel waste gases to only produce steam in gas-fired boilers. However, GE's pioneering Jenbacher technology allows steel factories to also generate electricity while avoiding the need to vent these gases into the atmosphere.
"We are proud of being one of the first companies in the world to provide specific technology that utilizes steel production waste gases to efficiently generate power," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. "GE's gas engines offer operators the durability and flexibility required to make these applications economically attractive."
With the three steel industry plants in northern Spain, the Jenbacher product team has completed substantial research work on this application, installing the first commercial applications in Spain for coke oven gas in 1995 and for LD-converter gas in 2004.
Profusa coke oven gas plant, Bilbao
In late 2005, Productos de Fundición S.A. (Profusa), one of Spain's leading producers of coke, marked the 10th anniversary of its coke oven gas fueled power plant.
Profusa S.A.'s pioneering waste-gas-to-energy plant features a dozen Jenbacher generator sets, engine type JGS 316 GS-S/N.L, located at the company's coke factory in the northern Spanish town of Bilbao. The plant supplies an estimated average of about six megawatts of electricity, depending on the fuel composition. Special engine control allows for maximum flexibility in the gas composition.
Industrial QuÃmica del Nalón EnergÃa, S.A. coke gas plant, Asturias
GE Energy supplied two Jenbacher cogeneration units, engine type JMS 620 GS-S/N.L, installed at the Industrial QuÃmica del Nalón EnergÃa, S.A. (I.Q.N.E.S.A.) coke factory in Sama de Langreo, in the province of Asturias.
Industrial QuÃmica del Nalón, S.A., the largest Spanish producer of high quality foundry coke, supplies its excess coke gas to the power plant of I.Q. N. E. S.A.
Simultaneously the power plant generates power and heat to support other factory's on-site energy needs: steam and products treatment processes.
hidrocantabrico energia's Sidergas LD (-converter) waste gas plant
Installed in 2004, a dozen of GE's Jenbacher engines, engine type JMS 620 GS-S/N.LC, are powering one of GE Energy's largest gas engine projects in Europe, a unique cogeneration system that utilizes LD-converter waste gas created by the Aceralia steel factory in Avilés, northern Spain. The Jenbacher units are owned and operated by hidrocantabrico energia's Sidergas, part of the neo energia S.L. group, edp's company specializing in renewable and special energies,
Jenbacher gas engines were chosen due to their ability to burn the toxic and residual LD-converter gas both safely and efficiently. By using the low-calorific value gas for 1.7 MW power generation per engine, other fossil energy resources also can be preserved while keeping the plant's NOx emissions below 500 mg/m³N (reference: at 5% O2).
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.
As part of GE's ecomagination initiative GE Energy is constantly focusing on expanding the fuel capabilities of its equipment. GE's Jenbacher engines operating on waste gases provide environmental benefits while providing customers with a technology that can generate carbon credits in certain regions. GE's carbon monetization team provides assistance to our customers in assessing whether monetization opportunities are available to further reduce the operating cost of power generation.
For more information, contact:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
Ken Darling or Tom Murnane
Masto Public Relations
+ 1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com
tom.murnane@mastopr.com
