The Lone Star State has a new reason to claim that “everything’s bigger
in Texas.” In a more than half-a-billion-dollar order, Exelon, one of
the largest competitive U.S. power generators, turned to GE (NYSE:GE) to
purchase four 7HA gas turbines, two D600 steam turbines, six generators
and a contractual service agreement for the Wolf Hollow and Colorado
Bend gas combined-cycle projects. This represents the first U.S. order
for GE’s highest efficiency HA turbine, adding to recent orders in
Japan, France and Russia.
GE's 9HA Gas Turbine at the validation test stand. (Photo: Business Wire)
The four 7HA gas turbines GE is supplying to Exelon are the world’s
largest and most-efficient 60-hertz gas turbines. Together with the
steam turbines and generators, they will add a total of 2,000 megawatts
(MW) of additional capacity for the projects. The combined-cycle gas
turbine plants will be built at the existing Exelon sites of Wolf
Hollow, which is near Dallas, and Colorado Bend, which is near Houston.
The equipment is expected to ship in 2016, and the plants are due to be
operational in 2017, helping Exelon provide additional capacity,
competitively priced, to the expanding Texas energy grid.
“Exelon is pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with GE to
provide additional natural gas generating capacity with industry-leading
performance,” said Ken Cornew, president and CEO, Exelon Generation.
“While we continue to evaluate our development plans, GE’s high-output
and high-efficiency H-class technologies would enable us to provide our
customers with reliable and low-cost energy.”
The 7HA.02 gas turbine offers output of 330 MW per unit, a net
combined-cycle efficiency of more than 61 percent, leading the industry
with cleaner, reliable and cost-efficient conversion of fuel to
electricity. Fuel savings compared with F-class technology will result
in over $8 million in annual fuel savings per gas turbine. The HA gas
turbines also feature modular constructability for a shorter
installation schedule, a real benefit in Texas given concerns about
skilled manpower availability.
“We have invested more than $1 billion in our latest H-class technology
to deliver the most cost-effective, dispatchable power to consumers”,
said Victor Abate, president and CEO, power generation products at GE
Power & Water. “We are excited to work with Exelon on H-class power
generation projects, the fastest growing segment within the gas turbine
industry.”
GE’s latest HA gas turbines build off the learnings of its operating
fleet of more than 4,500 air-cooled heavy-duty gas turbines with
accumulated operation of more than 180 million hours and a decade of
steam-cooled H-class gas turbine operating experience. GE technology
advancements are fueled through the long history of its Aviation
business and innovations from its Global Research Center.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best
technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in
energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering,
moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For
more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power
generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve
their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy
industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar, biogas
and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy.
The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the
world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and
quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power,
Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Products, Power Generation Services,
Renewable Energy and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in
Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.
Follow GE Power & Water and GE Power Generation on Twitter @GE_PowerWater
and @ge_powergen,
and on LinkedIn.
To track progress of the first HA Gas Turbine and get more information,
please visit: http://efficiency.gepower.com/media.html
or follow the turbine on Twitter @HArriet_GE.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140929006202/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2014