GT26 HE showcases merging of GE and Alstom technologies

GE has announced the launch order for its new GT26 HE (high efficiency) gas turbine upgrade with Uniper for the utility’s Enfield Power Station in greater London. “We’re proud to launch our new GT26 HE upgrade with Uniper—it’s the most advanced solution we’ve ever introduced on a GT26 gas turbine, and one of our most efficient upgrades within the F-class portfolio,” said Scott Strazik, president and CEO of GE’s new Gas Power business. “Not only will this upgrade revitalize Uniper’s Enfield power plant, it will also improve its competitive position in the Great Britain generation market, supporting its long-term profitability and viability.”

The GT26 HE upgrade also marks other GE firsts:

• First upgrade takes technologies and capabilities from GE’s industry-leading F and H class fleets to create a solution for GT26 power plant operators
• First upgrade that blends both GE and Alstom’s technology and expertise across all major components of a gas turbine solution.

Key performance benefits include:

• Higher efficiency for combined-cycle power plants: 2+ percent base load increased efficiency, translating to as much as $4 million in fuel savings annually per unit. Up to 1 percent increased efficiency in part load, yielding up to $1 million in fuel savings a year per unit.
• Increased plant output from 15 megawatts (MW) up to 55 MWs per unit, improving revenue opportunities.
• Extended inspection intervals up to 32,000 hours, reducing long-term maintenance costs.

Uniper’s Enfield power plant in London will be the first site to install the new GT26 HE technology in 2020 with several significant benefits that GE expects to exceed. These benefits will include increased megawatt output, improved plant and gas turbine efficiency, and extended maintenance intervals and operating hours to enable Enfield to consistently elevate its position on the dispatch curve in the highly competitive U.K. power market and ramp up its annual operating hours.

The new upgrade also features:

• A low-pressure turbine used in GE’s H-class technology.
• High-pressure turbine improvements to increase efficiency, utilizing GE’s F-class technology.
• Advanced combustor engineering incorporating additive manufactured parts to deliver high performance, reduce cooling requirements by approximately 15 percent and lower relative emissions.
• A new 3D aero-profile compressor configuration to provide best-in-class base-load and part-load performance.