GE technology to drive South Korea's first IGCC plant

Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) has selected GE technology for its first integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power plant to be built in South Korea. The 300-megawatt "cleaner coal" facility, one of the first in Asia, will help the South Korean government meet its low carbon emissions targets, while bolstering the country's electricity supply.

The Taean IGCC project is the first commercial gasification combined-cycle plant to be developed under South Korea's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS). GE will supply a 7F Syngas Turbine, a D11 steam turbine, a heat recovery steam generator and a cyber security-featured Mark* VIe integrated control system (ICS) that will run the power island control system for the new plant. GE will also provide 10 years of maintenance services for the facility, located 20 kilometers northwest of the city of Taean-Eub and about 100 kilometers south of Seoul.

Commercial operation to start in 2015

Specifically designed for IGCC applications, GE's 7F Syngas Turbine operates on cleaner burning syngas fuel produced from coal. For the Taean plant, the turbine will operate on syngas produced from the gasification of low BTU coal. Key equipment for the project will be shipped during the first half of 2014, with the plant's commercial operation to start in late 2015.

The scope of GE's contract for the Taean project includes power island control, which will be handled by a GE Mark Vle ICS that interfaces with the gasification and air separation units. Key features of the system will include vibration monitoring for the power island as well as interface with the entire plant vibration monitoring package; performance monitoring of the power island only; cyber security features for the GE Mark Vle ICS; interface with a centralized power generation management system consisting of multiple South Korean power plants; and a master clock for total plant time synchronization, including the gasification and air separation units.