GE to Provide Aeroderivative and Heavy Duty Gas Turbines for Peaking Power Plant in Kansas
HOUSTON, TEXAS-April 18, 2007-GE Energy has received contracts totaling approximately $145 million to supply four LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines and three heavy duty Frame 7FA gas turbines to Westar Energy Inc. for a peaking-duty power plant in Emporia, Kan. Westar is building the new plant in the wake of record-setting peak power demands in Kansas last summer.
"We are seeing a growing demand in the United States for power plants with the reliability and flexibility to meet peak power requirements," said Steve Bolze, president of power generation for GE Energy. "We are pleased that Westar has selected our heavy duty and aeroderivative gas turbine technologies to expand its peaking capabilities. Our LM6000 machines have been proven in more than 10 million hours of commercial operation, while our F technology fleet of heavy duty gas turbines has surpassed 17.5 million fired hours worldwide."
Westar, based in Topeka, Kan., serves more than 650,000 customers in Kansas with generation capacity of about 6,000 megawatts. The new, natural gas-fired Emporia Energy Center will operate in simple cycle peaking mode and will add more than 625 megawatts of capacity to Westar's grid.
The new project represents Westar's first purchase of aeroderivative gas turbine technology from any manufacturer. The four GE LM6000 Sprint units were selected because of their high efficiency and operating flexibility, which enable fast starts and load following. These are key factors for peaking power plants, which typically are operated when there is a high
demand for power.
Each of the LM6000 gas turbines will be site-rated at 41 megawatts and will be manufactured at GE's facilities in Houston, Texas and Evendale, Ohio. The units will be shipped during the third and fourth quarters of 2007 and are scheduled to be in commercial operation by the summer of 2008.
The three Frame 7FA gas turbines will be site-rated at 154 megawatts and will be manufactured at GE's gas turbine plant in Greenville, S.C. The first 7FA unit will be delivered to the site by October of 2007 and the remaining two machines by August of 2008. The entire plant will be in commercial operation by May of 2009.
In addition to the equipment, GE will provide technical assistance during the installation phase of the project.
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 2006 revenue of $19 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:
Ashley Davis
GE Energy
+1 713 803 0371
ashley.davis@ge.com
