During Covid, 9F.03 rotor and compressor upgrade carried out

GE completed the installation of a new rotor and a compressor upgrade on a GE 9F.03 gas turbine at Tirreno Power’s 1,200-megawatt (MW) Torrevaldaliga Sud Power Plant, located near Rome. With COVID-19 restrictions rapidly changing, GE quickly implemented additional safety protocols and procedures to ensure employee safety and project execution

The modernization project started in late February with the goal to enhance the reliability and availability of the equipment, which provides power to the Italian grid.  In the following weeks, as the pandemic spread and COVID-19 protective measures were put in place, GE, in alignment with Tirreno Power, quickly implemented additional safety protocols and procedures to ensure the timely and safe completion of the outage.

The modernization consisted of the installation of a new rotor and of an enhanced compressor system to increase the robustness and durability of the turbine. The engineering enhancements reduce the impact of degradation that naturally occurs with time on the rotor components and improves their lifespan. This, in turn, reduces the risk of unplanned downtime and emergent maintenance.

Engineers from GE and FieldCore, the field services execution team owned by GE, worked together and in close cooperation with Tirreno Power experts to quickly implement an array of safety measures including: more frequent disinfections at the site, physical distancing including in site cafeterias and locker rooms, and the use of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves. Additionally, enhanced measures included the creation of a joint GE - FieldCore COVID-19 taskforce with the mission to monitor and address the rapidly evolving situation and ensure compliance with local, national and company regulations.