First fire at Virginia combined cycle featuring 3 J-class gas turbines

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) on August 23 announced a successful first fire for the Dominion Energy Greensville County Power Station located in Emporia, Virginia. Designed to generate 1,558 MW, the plant operates three M501J gas turbines supplied by Mitsubishi. The three gas turbines are the cornerstone of the largest and cleanest gas-fired power block ever operated inside the US.

One of the keys to success with the Greensville project included on-time delivery by MHPS for all three M501J gas turbines. Each unit completed installation to support the project’s projected in-service date, and all units synchronized flawlessly as they connected to the grid throughout the past 6 weeks, hallmarked by Unit 1A synchronizing to the grid earlier this month.

MHPS Project Manager, Matt Herbst said, “With the 3rd successful first fire in a row at Greensville, MHPS has successfully met key milestones to keep the project on target to meet commercial operation by the end of 2018. Each engine start validated our commitment to Dominion Energy to provide reliable units on time and on budget. MHPS Construction and Commissioning Services performed expertly. Units 1A, 1B and 1C are all on the grid and generating power. This is the second M501J GTCC Power Plant online in North America, with three more plants to follow this year.”

The start-up team now turns their attention towards commissioning and performance testing to deliver full plant output before the end of 2018.