GE Power's HA gas turbine sets a new milestone

Business Sunday 24/June/2018 15:22 PM
By: Times News Service
GE Power's HA gas turbine sets a new milestone

Muscat: GE Power announced a growing list of accomplishments by its industry-leading HA gas turbine and its services portfolio—including the 26th HA in commercial operation and the new MXL2 with additive manufactured performance upgrade for the GT13E2 turbine. These accomplishments reiterate GE Power’s unique position to help gas power producers efficiently and profitably meet the growing demand for electricity.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), world energy demand is expected to rise 30 per cent through 2040, which is the equivalent of adding another India and China to today’s energy demand. To meet this increase in demand, natural gas, rapid rise of renewables and energy efficiency improvements will lead the way.
“With the broadest portfolio of fuel choices and industry-leading technology, GE Power is leading customers through this energy transition,” said Russell Stokes, president and CEO of GE Power.
“We continue to see gas playing an important role in the world’s energy mix including as a complement to variable renewables. Our HA technology enables unprecedented levels of efficiency to help customers reach more aggressive emissions goals,” he added.
GE’s HA debuted in 2016 as the world’s largest, most-efficient and advanced heavy-duty gas turbine, and since then, it has delivered two world records for efficiency across 50- and 60-hertz segments. Today, the HA has achieved more than 118,000 operating hours and is the fastest growing fleet of gas turbines in the world with 76 units ordered by more than 25 customers across 15 plus countries.
GE Power also is continuing its investments in its existing fleet. Today, GE Power and Vattenfall Wärme Berlin —a subsidiary of Swedish utility Vattenfall —announced the new MXL2 with additive manufactured performance—the world’s first upgrade solution for GE’s GT13E2 gas turbines that uses key components manufactured using additive technology.
Because these components are made with a lightweight configuration and can be engineered to include advanced cooling channels, they help the gas turbine run more efficiently, representing a new frontier in turbine engineering and production. This announcement is the third in a series of investments GE Power has announced in the last six weeks.
This breakthrough technology can significantly elevate the output and efficiency of existing 13E2 gas turbines, which are also deployed across the Middle East.
The new MXL2 with additive manufactured performance can help gas plant power producers save up to $2 million in fuel annually, while opening up the potential for additional revenue of up to $3 million annually in new power capacity. This underpins GE’s commitment to keep its mature fleets competitive in today’s very dynamic marketplace.