Upgrade at Progress Energy plant to deliver 1% more efficiency

GE will upgrade two GE Frame 7FA Gas Turbines at a Progress Energy power plant in the Smith Energy Complex, which will help the site continue to meet growing energy demands through increased output, greater efficiency and lower emissions. The two turbines have been operating on natural gas since 2002, and the enhancement project is scheduled to be completed by October this year.

GE plans to upgrade the turbines with compressor and combustion system enhancements as well as Advanced Gas Path to improve the site's output by 16 megawatts and fuel efficiency by more than 1 percent. GE expects the upgrades to extend the plant's parts life and increase the time between scheduled outages. The new Advanced Gas Path solution for the 7FA expands gas turbine output and heat rate performance through material and design innovations.

The site's upgrade package also includes dry low NOx (DLN) combustion technology designed to lower emissions while saving water. GE also will install an Enhanced Transient Stability application at the Smith Energy Complex, which will help protect the plant against grid instability.

By minimizing the effect of grid transients, the power plant can see higher up time and provide critical power during this time period. This controls based solution can be installed during a typical hot gas path or major inspection.