GE upgrades two 9FA gas turbines at Egyptian plant

GE recently completed the upgrades of two GE 9FA gas turbines at the Nubaria power plant in Beheira, Egypt. The process included the installation of GE’s combustion solutions for the 9FA gas turbine including Advanced Gas Path (AGP), Advanced Extendors Combustion and Dry Low NOx 2.6+.

GE said it has implemented this upgrade on the 9FA gas turbine for the first time in the Middle East and Africa which is said to have improved the power plant’s output by 6.7%. Additionally, it is expected to have improved the power plant’s heat rate, which decreased its fuel consumption by 3%.

The Nubaria power plant, owned by the Middle Delta Electricity Production Co.,  is a combined-cycle plant powered by two GE 9FA gas turbines and a three-casing reaction technology steam turbine from Alstom that generate 750 MW totally. According to GE, the upgrades have improved the efficiency and availability of the combined cycle plant.

The upgrades also are expected to improve the GE 9FA’s availability by 3.7%, allowing the unit to operate continuously for four years without any shutdowns. The life cycle of the newly installed parts has also doubled from six years to 12 years.

GE has been a partner to Egypt for more than 40 years; and more than 140 GE gas and steam turbines are installed in the country, generating more than 15.5 GW of power, meeting the electricity needs of more than 15 million Egyptian homes.