GE Vernova’s H-Class Turbines Kickstart Operation at Guangming Power Plant

Shenzhen Energy Group’s Guangming power plant in Guangdong Province, China, started commercial operation with GE Vernova's three 9HA.01 gas turbines and Harbin Electric's steam turbines and generators.

“Natural gas-fired generators have the lowest CO₂ emissions of all fossil power generation fuels and are ideal for countries like China where the need to transition from coal at scale while retaining the reliability of supply is paramount,” said Xu Xin, President of GE Vernova Gas Power China Services.

GE Vernova and Harbin Electric—a joint venture called General Harbin Electric Gas Turbine (Qinhuangdao)—said the plant is expected to deliver up to 2 GW of electricity for the country’s most populous region of approximately 127 million people. The 9HA.01 gas turbines can burn up to 50% by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas—offering the potential for lower carbon emitting operations via the increased share of gas power.

“We are excited to work together with Harbin Electric and bring our HA technology, which offers among the lowest carbon emissions per amount of fossil fuel in the industry, to give power plant operators, like Shenzhen Energy Group, the ability to use fossil fuels more efficiently and lower carbon emissions compared to older coal power plants,” Xin said.

Guangming power plant; image credit: Shenzhen Energy Group

Operational Impact

The commercial start of Guangming combined-cycle power plant aligns with China’s decarbonization roadmap:

• Carbon emissions peak by 2030
• Carbon-neutrality by 2060

GE Vernova’s H-class gas turbines can generate electricity with flexibility, efficiency, and reliability of supply, allowing China to transition away from its coal-powered energy mix and focus on building highly efficient gas-powered combined cycle plants. In addition, this project aligns with local government policy reform in the Greater Bay Area. Shenzhen Energy Group and GE Vernova have partnered for 20 years to establish low-carbon energy systems in Guangdong, fulfilling the densely populated province’s electricity requirements.

GE Vernova News

In mid-December 2024, GE Vernova announced that it will deliver its first H-Class gas turbine to the Caribbean. Generadora San Felipe Ltd.’s 470-MW power plant station, San Felipe—located in Punta Caucedo, Boca Chica, Dominican Republic—features one multi-shaft generating block that will be equipped with GE Vernova’s:

• 7HA.02 gas turbine coupled to an H65 generator
• STF-A650 steam turbine coupled to an H35 generator
• triple pressure with a reheat heat recovery steam generator
• condenser

The natural gas-fired combined cycle plant will support the country’s growth of renewable power generation. San Felipe power plant is expected to begin operation in 2027. It’s situated next to AES/ENADOM LNG terminal, with a total storage capacity of LNG of 250,000 m³.

Also in December, Net-Zero Teesside Power reached financial close and issued a full notice to the GE Vernova/Technip Energies/Balfour Beatty consortium. The U.K. project is to be, according to the consortium, the world’s first gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage, capturing up to 2 million tons of CO₂ per year. The captured carbon will be transported and permanently stored by the Northern Endurance Partnership. Once the plant is up and running, it could produce up to 742 MW of flexible low-carbon power.