GE Unveils World’s First Battery Storage & Gas Turbine Hybrid with Southern California Edison
- Southern California Edison (SCE) will install a battery energy storage system from Current, powered
by GE, later this year in response to California’s Aliso Canyon energy emergency
- SCE additionally plans to install a controls upgrade package to integrate the battery energy storage
system with a gas turbine
- Hybrid technology helps SCE respond to California’s changing regulations and grid requirements
- GE’s LM6000 Hybrid EGT* package expected to help SCE’s customers save on fuel costs, while reducing
natural gas consumption and emissions, plus improving gas turbine start-up time and reliability
GE and longtime customer Southern California Edison (SCE) today announced a plan to install the world’s first battery storage
and gas turbine hybrid. The two-project solution first calls for installation of a battery energy storage system from Current,
powered by GE, followed by upgrades to a GE LM6000 gas turbine to integrate the two systems. The LM6000 Hybrid EGT, which is
scheduled to be deployed at two SCE sites in the coming months, was developed in response to changing regulations and grid
requirements in the wake of California’s Aliso Canyon energy crisis earlier this year and will ultimately support increasing
renewable energy capacity on the California grid.
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GE unveils world’s first battery storage & gas turbine hybrid with Southern California Edison (Photo: General
Electric)
“GE’s new LM6000 Hybrid EGT product fits well with SCE's objective of providing cost–effective, innovative solutions that
enhance grid reliability, flexibility, and fast response for our customers,” said Phil Herrington, Vice President of Generation for
Southern California Edison.
The solution, which will qualify for California’s Independent System Operator’s tariff for contingency reserve, answers a
critical need for Southern California, where regulations on natural gas usage and storage are changing in the wake of the state’s
Aliso Canyon energy crisis earlier this year. GE’s Power Services and Current businesses worked to develop the joint solution in a
competitive offer in collaboration with Wellhead Power Solutions, LLC.
“This was truly a best-in-class joint effort by Southern California Edison, our partners at Wellhead Power Solutions, and
multiple GE businesses to enhance our technology and add Current’s battery storage system to existing GE turbines,” said Eric
Gebhardt, Chief Platforms & Operations Officer for Current, powered by GE. “As a team, we worked together to quickly provide a
complete scope of the challenge and find a solution in a very short time frame. Now we can bring this same technology to other GE
gas turbine customers around the world.”
The LM6000 Hybrid EGT product integrates a 10 MW battery energy storage system from Current and an existing GE LM6000
aeroderivative gas turbine with control system upgrades provided by GE’s Power Services. The system will allow the turbine to
operate in standby mode without using fuel and enable immediate response to changing energy dispatch needs. By eliminating the need
to constantly run the turbines at minimum loads to maintain spinning reserves, the LM6000 Hybrid EGT will save fuel, reduce
maintenance costs and cut down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“We are excited to launch this innovative hybrid solution to provide immediate power, increase the flexibility of our gas
turbines, leverage new software controls solutions and increase customer competitiveness,” said Paul McElhinney, President and CEO
of GE’s Power Services. “With our total plant solutions capabilities, we are able to help California increase its grid efficiency
and help SCE deliver more affordable energy in a changing marketplace.”
The LM6000 Hybrid EGT offers ancillary and grid support at a lower cost and smaller GHG footprint than traditional resources,
plus it can provide 50 MW of GHG-free spinning reserve, flexible capacity, and peaking energy; 25 MW of high-quality regulation;
and 10 MVA of reactive voltage support and primary frequency response when not online.
The battery energy storage system is expected to be installed and operational by the end of 2016, and the updated and integrated
turbine controls are scheduled to be operational in early 2017.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that
are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” through which each
business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and
application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers
by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com
*Trademark and/or Service Mark of General Electric Company
GE
Nikolas Noel
nikolas.noel@ge.com
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