The Coal-to-Gas Transition: GE Vernova Decarbonizing China with H-Class Technology

GE Vernova and Harbin Electric recently equipped Shenzhen Energy Group’s Guangming power plant with three 9HA.01 gas turbines, steam turbines, and generators. With this H-class technology, the plant will deliver up to 2 GW of power for China’s most populous province of approximately 127 million residents.

Xu Xin, President of GE Vernova Gas Power - China Services, told Turbomachinery International that the company’s gas-powered turbines are a fitting solution for China’s coal-to-gas transition and overall decarbonization strategy.

“Natural gas-fired generators have the lowest CO₂ emissions of all conventional power-generation fuels,” Xin said. “This is paramount for countries like China, where the coal-to-gas transition must be completed at scale while retaining supply reliability. Compared to a coal-fired power plant of the same capacity, the Guangming combined-cycle power plant reduces CO₂ emissions by more than 3 mtpa.”

Xin said that although General Harbin Electric Gas Turbine continues to execute natural gas projects throughout the country, some roadblocks remain in the way of eliminating coal.

“In terms of challenges, the peak-load regulation electricity price compensation mechanism is still immature and lacks special electricity prices, which results in the economic value of peak-load regulation services not being fully reflected in actual operations,” he said. “Currently, the carbon pricing mechanism in China is not well-established, with relatively low carbon prices that fail to adequately reflect the environmental benefits and emission reduction values of coal-to-gas conversion. Whether it is carbon reduction through gas turbines or renewable energy, the economic viability is not fully realized.

“During the equipment bidding stage, users tend to focus on the initial investment, neglecting future operation and maintenance costs. This leads to intense price competition among gas turbine suppliers, and the value of peak-shaving capabilities and advanced carbon-reduction technologies is not fully recognized.”

9HA.01 turbines offer advantages when powering densely populated areas like China’s Guangdong province, such as large capacity, high efficiency, operational flexibility, low emissions, and small footprint, according to Xin.

H-class gas turbine; image credit: GE Vernova

“[Each turbine] can produce up to 448 MW of power, which is crucial for meeting the high electricity demands of densely populated regions,” he said. “The 9HA.01 gas turbine—when integrated with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and steam turbine to form a gas-steam combined-cycle power plant—can generate a total power output of 661 MW, a combined-cycle efficiency of over 63%, and can generate significant electrical output in a flexible manner.

“These turbines reach full combined-cycle plant load in less than 30 minutes, making them an ideal complement to intermittent renewable energy sources and ensuring a reliable power supply during peak demand periods. They can reduce emissions by up to 60% compared to fossil-fired plants of the same size and burn up to 50% hydrogen by volume when blended with natural gas. The footprint also occupies only one-third of the land area compared to coal-fired power units of the same capacity.”

Xin explained the individual roles of a steam turbine and generator in the Guangming power plant: A combined-cycle power plant uses a gas and steam turbine to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel compared to a traditional simple-cycle plant.

“The waste heat from the gas turbine is routed to the nearby steam turbine, which generates extra power," Xin said. "The gas turbine compresses air and mixes it with high-temperature fuel, which moves through the gas turbine blades to make them spin. Then, the fast-spinning turbine drives a generator that converts a portion of the spinning energy into electricity. The HRSG captures exhaust heat from the gas turbine, which would otherwise escape through the exhaust stack. This creates steam that is transferred to the steam turbine’s generator drive shaft, where it is converted into additional electricity.”

China’s Transition from Coal

Harbin Electric and GE Vernova established a strategic partnership to help China transition to natural gas and collaboratively expand the market, serve their customers, and offer local services with increased accessibility and convenience. When GE Vernova joined the partnership in 2017, it was to build a gas turbine manufacturing joint venture in Qinhuangdao—General Harbin Electric Gas Turbine.

Xin said in February 2023, the company’s first domestic HA-class heavy-duty gas turbine was rolled off the production line in Qinhuangdao. As of 2024, the joint venture has successfully completed the assembly of seven heavy-duty gas turbines and delivered them to various customer sites, including the 9HA units for the Guangming combined-cycle power plant project and Huizhou Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone Comprehensive Energy Station.

Guangming combined-cycle power plant; image credit: Shenzhen Energy Group

So, what does GE Vernova’s future supportive role look like in terms of decarbonizing China?

“As one of the first global energy equipment and service providers to enter the Chinese market, GE Vernova is actively involved in China's energy development,” Xin said. “We hope to leverage our scale and technology advantages to assist in developing China's new power system, realizing the government’s dual-carbon goals. GE Vernova's Gas Power business in China provides services for over 110 customers who operate up to 240 gas turbines, with a total capacity of approximately 50 GW. To date, GE Vernova secured six projects with 139 HA gas turbines in China, delivering a total capacity of nearly 10 GW.”

Two HA gas power projects are in progress in Zhoushan and Anji, and potential projects in other provinces are being explored. GE Vernova has already provided two 9HA.02 heavy-duty gas turbines for the SDIC Jineng Zhoushan 745-MW gas power project. “This project advances the 14th Five-Year Plan of Zhejiang Province and promotes the province’s green, low-carbon development, energy supply, and price stability,” Xin said. “The first unit is scheduled for operation in October 2025.”

In August 2024, GE Vernova announced that CHN Energy Investment Group ordered two 9HA.02 gas turbines for the Anji combined-cycle power plant. Xin said this project is expected to enter commercial operation in 2026, with an installed capacity of more than 1.6 GW.

“Upon completion, the project will help ensure energy system reliability and grid stability, expanding the deployment of renewable energy resources in Zhejiang Province’s energy mix,” he said.