GE Installs 250 MW Reserve Power Plant in Switzerland

Caption: Birr Aero Auto Plant received eight TM2500 aero gas turbines. Credit: GE Gas Power

GE Gas Power has announced the completion of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)’s temporary reserve power plant at GE’s manufacturing center in Birr, approximately 30 km west of Zurich. The 250 MW plant is powered by eight of GE’s trailer mounted TM2500 mobile aeroderivative gas turbines and will help meet power demand, prevent power shortages, and enhance the reliability of the country’s energy supply. GE completed the installation of the equipment in a 26-week timeframe.

"After the connection to the power grid was completed at the end of February 2023, the tests for commissioning have also been completed successfully, and the power plant is able to supply electricity if required,” said Christian Verhoeven, Chief Technology Officer - Switzerland, GE Gas Power. “The power plant will provide a source of emergency power for the electricity grid, and one whose emission levels can be reduced using blends of hydrogen fuel in the future. The scope and nature of this project are extraordinary: GE built not just the power plant but also supporting infrastructure and orchestrating the work of more than 200 people. At the peak in January, we had approximately 500 people working on this project, which was executed safely and in record time."

The temporary reserve power plant in Birr has dual-fuel capability for both gaseous and liquid fuels. GE’s TM2500 gas turbines can operate on various fuel sources, depending on the combustion system configuration, including hydrogen, biogas or biodiesel, and synthetic fuels or sustainable air fuels (SAF) produced with renewable energy. The TM2500 can burn up to 85% hydrogen by volume when blended with natural gas, and GE is working to expand this capability in the future to further reduce carbon emissions from operations for the TM2500 fleet.

The 34 MW units were engineered for flexibility and quick dispatch, capable of reaching full power in 5 minutes and having a smaller footprint for sites with limited space. The TM2500 can also help generate emergency power in the aftermath of natural disasters, plant shutdowns, grid instability, or isolated locations.