GE Vernova to Deliver 9HA Gas Turbines to Zhoushan Power Plant

GE Vernova’s Gas Power business and Harbin Electric (HE) have received an order from the Chinese State Development & Investment Corp. (SDIC) for the delivery of two GE 9HA.02 gas turbines for a new combined-cycle power plant in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China. The first turbine unit will begin operation by the end of 2025 and is expected to utilize a hydrogen blend for burning in the future—10% by volume of green hydrogen mixed with natural gas.

SDIC’s Zhoushan power plant is slated to generate 1.7 GW of electricity for China’s largest archipelago, comprised of 1,390 largely populated islands. The plant will generate electricity with lower carbon output than coal-fired systems and supports the development of maritime industries in the immediate region.

“GE Vernova and Harbin Electric will provide us with quality and reliability for our Zhoushan power plant with GE’s gas turbine technology, driving the way for reliable, affordable, and lower-carbon electricity for the area,” said Tan Peidong, General Manager of SDIC Jineng Gas Power Generation. “We ordered GE’s H-Class technology for its ability to generate significant electrical output in a flexible and efficient way—crucial for the development of the maritime cluster—while helping to ensure reliability of supply in the over 130 urbanized islands of the archipelago.”

The 9HA.02 gas turbines will stabilize the Zhoushan grid for reliable energy dispatch. Replacing coal-fired plants with GE Vernova’s gas equivalent can reduce carbon emissions in the area by approximately 60%, while providing the energy capacity that would otherwise be achieved by burning 1.35 million tons of coal per year.

“GE is honored to supply SDIC with our 9HA gas turbines as part of our long-term strategic cooperation with Harbin Electric,” said Ma Jun, General Manager of Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Sales, GE Gas Power China.“The 9HA.02 DLN2.6e combustion system is designed to operate on up to 50% hydrogen by volume, well above the plant’s initial goal to operate on up to 10% hydrogen, offering a future pathway to SDIC for even lower carbon-emitting operations in the future.”

GE Vernova’s delivery of the gas turbines satisfies the 14th five-year plan of the People’s Republic of China, in which Zhoushan has been designated as a hub for east China’s maritime economic development. According to the five-year plan, the Zhejiang province will develop two marine industrial clusters from 2021 to 2025 that will utilize a yet-to-be-constructed green hydrogen production hub.

The GE HA gas turbines are capable of quickly powering on and off, enabling the Zhoushan power grid to meet immediate demand and bolster the region’s energy structure. Natural gas reliability allows for accessible power when wind and solar in the Zhejiang province is unavailable, improving power capacity and power grid peak shaving capability. Zhoushan will complement the GE-upgraded power plant with the development of a green hydrogen production hub in the future.