Industry News

Saudi Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser

Saudi Aramco mega project

A new Saudi Aramco mega project aims to boost production and supply of natural gas, lessening dependence on oil for power generation. Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, the Fadhili gas project will become a key component of the Kingdom’s master gas system, processing gas from both onshore and offshore fields.

Together, with Wasit and Midyan, Saudi Aramco’s two other new major gas projects, Fadhili will add more than five billion Standard Cubic Feet per Day (SCFD) of non-associated gas processing capacity. The increase in the supply of natural gas will grow above 17 billion SCFD by 2020, enabling opportunities in Saudi industries, such as steel, aluminum and downstream industries. The project will be developed at a total cost that exceeds 50 billion Riyals ($13.3 billion) with emphasis placed on In-Kingdom expenditures, benefiting localization initiatives that will reach 40% of the total cost. The Fadhili training program, to be set up in partnership with project contractors, will provide Saudi nationals with opportunities to gain work experience and technical skills. Fadhili will process a total of 2.5 billion SCFD of non-associated gas, including 2 billion SCFD of Hasbah offshore gas and 500 million SCFD of Khursaniyah onshore gas.

It is expected to produce 1.5 billion SCFD of sales gas, 4,000 metric tons per day of sulfur, and will supply 470 million SCFD of gas to an adjacent cogeneration power plant, which will provide Fadhili with power and steam requirements, and supply about 1,100 MW of electricity to the domestic grid. Saudi Aramco is also exploring future opportunities of environmental significance at Fadhili, which may include a helium recovery plant and a CO2 recovery unit to reduce emissions.

IGTI Visits Korea

The 2016 ASME Turbo Expo was held at the CoEx Center in Seoul, South Korea with a five-day technical paper conference and a three-day exposition. Over 3,000 engineers and scientists attended the conference which included some 1,000 technical papers, panels, and tutorials. The 2016 event was the first time that the Turbo Expo event was held outside of either North America or Europe and, as expected, a large percentage of the attendees came from Asia.

This year’s conference theme was “Energy and Propulsion in the Information Age” and several keynote, plenary, and panel sessions focused on this topic. Noteworthy keynote presentations by Rolls-Royce, Ansaldo, and Pratt & Whitney Power Systems discussed how gas turbine (GT) design, control, and instrumentation technology has evolved over the last 30 years, taking advantage of the latest computational and networking advances.

Another theme was the impact of information technology on maintenance and repair practices. Specifically, the intersection of information technology, and energy and propulsion infrastructure is creating significant opportunities for cost, reliability, and performance increases in turbomachinery and in the larger systems with which they operate.

As in the past five years, sessions on alternative energy sources, such as wind turbines, supercritical carbon dioxide cycles (sCO2), concentrating solar power systems, and organic rankine cycles were well attended and created plenty of debate. Presentations by General Electric, EchoGen, and SwRI indicated that the commercialization of sCO2 power cycles is advancing rapidly and commercial plants should be operational within the next three-to-five years.

Because of the Asian participation in this conference, there were also a significant number of presentations and panel sessions on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas transmission. The general consensus appears to be that infrastructure needs for LNG production, transport and use will continue to grow rapidly because of sustained demand for LNG from Asia and low natural gas prices in producer countries.

The 2017 ASME Turbo Expo, co-located with the ASME Power & Energy Conference, will be held from June 26 to 30 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Over 4,000 attendees are expected at this combined conference. By Klaus Brun

Engine vs turbine study

A study conducted by the Essen-Duisburg University in cooperation with MAN Diesel & Turbo compared engines and turbines in combined heat & power (CHP) applications. It found that in the generation of district heating from CHP sources, gas engines were found to offer some advantages over gas combined cycle power plants (CCPP) in terms of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study compared the power data of a 100 MW CCPP and two configurations of an engine power plant with multiple 10.6 MW MAN gas engines arranged in combination. A multitude of parameters were used, such as the heat yield, electricity production, fuel consumption, fuel utilization and financial yield.

Part of the reason for it to come out in favor of gas engines was the large swing in load in district heading from below 20% up to full load. The study advocates gas engines as a viable option in small- and medium-sized CCPPs.

Chromalloy expansion

Chromalloy has expanded its component manufacturing support and repair capabilities in Tilburg, Netherlands. It can now provide GT engine manufacturers and operators with the Chromalloy A-12 aluminum diffusion coating for steel and other turbine components.

When applied to metal components during manufacturing and repair, this inhibits corrosion and oxidation. The coating is applied at low temperatures by a pack cementation process to preserve the base alloy properties of smaller compressor blades and vanes as well as cases and large buckets and vanes. In addition, Chromalloy added complementary component machining capabilities.

EthosEnergy digest

EthosEnergy has completed a full inspection, repair, testing and reassembly of a Westinghouse boiler feed pump turbine for Coyote Station, bringing the unit located near Beulah, North Dakota back to full load. Coyote Station is operated by Otter Tail Power Company headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The Coyote Station boiler feed pump turbine experienced an overspeed event that resulted in a failure of the steam path and severe damage to the casing and bearing brackets. EthosEnergy provided an alternative solution to replace the steam path with a modern design that has enhanced thermodynamic performance and ease of maintenance. This allowed Coyote Station to get back to full load sooner than if they were to purchase a new turbine assembly. EthosEnergy manufactured a rotor, blades and diaphragms, as well as repairing the nozzles, valves and bearings. In addition, a casing overhaul was employed to straighten and realign back to specification. Following shop repairs, the boiler feed pump turbine was returned to the Coyote Station for non-destructive testing, sole plate re-grouting, alignment and reassembly.

Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE) recently awarded EthosEnergy a contract for the overhaul of one 701D unit with all new parts and upgrade of two MHI 701D units inclusive of upgraded controls at the Ywama power plant in Yangon, Myanmar. The package included a full set of capital parts, HGP inspection services, two control system upgrades and a training program for employees.

NAES acquires PurEnergy

NAES Corp. has acquired PurEnergy, an operations and asset management firm that provides services to power plant owners. This strengthens NAES capabilities to operate and add commercial value to power-generating assets. PurEnergy has expertise in optimizing reliability and efficiency, and making decisions on capital improvements to protect owner investments.

NAES has also been selected by Footprint Power Salem Harbor Development to operate a new CCPP in Salem, Mass. It will be a quick-start facility on an 18-acre site with capacity to provide 674 MW of power with nearly half available in 10 minutes and the remainder over the course of an hour.

Flour CCPP

A natural gas-fired CCPP is being constructed by Flour in Citrus County, Florida, for Duke Energy Florida. Located close to the Crystal River Energy Complex, it will be operated by DEF.

Construction began in March 2016, and operations are expected to start in 2018. It will include two identical power blocks, each capable of producing 820 MW. With a total capacity of 1,640 MW, each unit will feature two Mitsubishi 501GAC turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) equipped with duct burners, and a steam turbine generator in a two-on-one configuration. Each unit will contain one fuel gas dew point heater with a capacity of 11.2 million BTUs an hour (MMBTU/h) along with an auxiliary steam boiler with a capacity of 216.2 MMBtu/h. The units will be equipped with one 1,500 kW diesel-fired emergency generator each. Both units will be served by one diesel-fired emergency firewater pump with a power rating of 575 hp.

New Pruftechnik office

Pruftechnik’s has a new office in San Diego, California, to support its products and services. Functions of the office include product sales, tech support, training, consultation and machinery service. This follows the recent opening of an office in Philadelphia.

Notre Dame turbomachinery

The University of Notre Dame has opened a $36 million turbomachinery research and testing laboratory at Ignition Park in South Bend, Indiana to analyze and advance the technology of gas turbine engines used for jet aircraft, power generation plants and the oil & gas industry. The 25,000-square-foot facility, sponsored by GE, will study aerodynamics, thermodynamics and structural mechanics of parts of large rotating machines, with a focus on vibration, stability, flow, and efficiency. The new lab has four test bays and room to grow. Leading the lab are Joshua Cameron, research assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering and director of the new laboratory, and Scott Morris, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, and the lab’s research director. The lab currently employs 37 people and will eventually employ about 60. Through its previous work, the turbomachinery researchers have developed relationships with Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Honeywell, Siemens, ANSYS, NASA and the Air Force Research Lab. The University also has signed a Center of Excellence agreement with Pratt & Whitney.

Louisiana plant

The Louisiana Energy and Power Authority (LEPA) has constructed a $120 million natural gas-fired electrical facility in Morgan City, Louisiana. Final testing is underway. The 64 MW CCPP is connected to the Texas Gas Transmission pipeline with a 1.3 mile, 8-inch natural gas pipeline. The plant uses reclaimed water discharged from the nearby Morgan City Waste Water Treatment Plant.

TMEIC drive

TMEIC has been awarded the contract to supply a large motor and drive to the Dresser Rand business, part of Siemens Power and Gas Division, for the CO2 recycle Datum turbo compressor at the Denbury Onshore natural gas liquids plant in Delhi, Louisiana. The four-pole, 20,450 HP induction motor is designed for variable speed operation at up to 1,780 rpm, directly coupled to the compressor. It runs at 6,000 volts. Motor starting and adjustable speed operation is provided by a TMEIC TMdrive-XL75 variable frequency drive rated at 23 MVA. This contains a multi-pulse diode converter supplied from a phase shifted transformer which ensures a high power factor and low harmonic distortion levels. Liquid cooling is supplied from a redundant pumping unit connected to a fan cooled outdoor water-to-air heat exchanger.

MAN MGT 6200[/caption]

MAN CHP

Two MAN GTs based on CHP will deliver around 17 MW of power and 35 MW of heat to an industrial park in the provincial capital of Changsha. The order placed by Changsha ENN Heating Power comprises the company’s THM series as well as an MGT 6100 GT. This will replace an existing coal-based plant. Installation is due in 2017.

Sullair distribution

Sullair centrifugal compressors are now available through Sullair distribution channels. The company has been replacing screw compressors at the Dow Chemical Plant in Midland, Michigan, with its TRE 1,000 HP Sullair Centrifugal Compressor powered by IHI. Sullair estimates an annual savings of more than $12,000 on one compressor. The Dow plant will convert the remaining five compressors over time.

New air filtration standard

Evaluation of air filters in accordance with EN 779 will soon be history. ISO 16890 is coming and will replace the old standard by the middle of 2018 at the latest. For years, the World Health Organization and environmental authorities have been using particle sizes in evaluating air quality.

Industry is now finally following their lead. With the introduction of the ISO 16890 test standard, filter efficiency will be determined on the basis of particulate classes PM1, PM2,5 and PM10. This will ensure that filters are evaluated on the basis of their actual performance and help users to select filters in a more targeted manner than was previously possible. Experts from Freudenberg Filtration Technologies have worked closely with the relevant committees in developing and drawing up the new test standard. The company has published information about the differences between the EN 779 and the upcoming ISO 16890 test standard on its website. Dr. Thomas Caesar, Director Global Filter Engineering Industrial Filtration at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, provides a detailed explanation of the changes that will accompany ISO 16890 in an in-depth interview. Key points include measurements based on different particle sizes, evaluation according to specific application conditions, and the allocation of filters into groups rather than classes. Freudenberg’s aim is to provide transparent information about the new standard, ensuring that customers and end-users are fully aware of what ISO 16890 will mean for them. A video of the interview can be viewed on the Freudenberg Filtration Technologies website or on the company’s YouTube channel

(https://www.youtube.com/user/FreudenbergFilter).

Distributed generation

A new report from Navigant Research examines the global market for distributed natural gas-fueled generation (DNGG) for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications, including forecasts for capacity and revenue, through 2025. Despite recent slowdowns in the oil & gas market, DNGG is positioned for growth, with key drivers such as demand for reliable power, stricter environmental standards, and the decreasing costs of onsite generation relative to alternatives like grid power.

In addition, DNGG’s related technologies are placed at the intersection of two of today’s biggest energy trends: The proliferation of distributed energy resources and the growing abundance of cheap oil & gas. According to Navigant, the global market for new DNGG installations is expected to grow from $12.6 billion in 2016 to $35.9 billion by 2025. “DNGG is cleaner than diesel or coal generation,” says Adam Forni, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “With fuel prices low and environmental policies favoring natural gas, global demand is growing from a wide range of segments, from residential, to industrial, to utilities.”

Panama power

POSCO E&C is set to construct a 380 MW Colon-based combined cycle power plant and a 180,000 m3 LNG tank. The construction site is in the Telfers industrial complex in Colon, Panama. The CCPP project will build an LNG CCPP along with an LNG storage tank to supply fuel at Colon (near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal). It is expected to be completed in July 2018 and the LNG tank in May 2019.

Nationwide Boiler digest

Nationwide Boiler and Superior Boiler Works have completed production of the world’s first 1,000 hp mobile boiler room. The ASME Section I firetube boiler, ASME spray deaerator and ASME blowdown separator, manufactured by Hutchinson, Kansas-based Superior Boiler Works, required more than a year of custom engineering, planning and production time. The system is designed at 290 psig with operating pressure capabilities ranging from 100 to 260 psig, far exceeding any other operating pressure available in the marketplace today. It is capable of firing natural gas, propane gas or #2 fuel oil.

A custom 53-foot, four-axle container houses the 1,000 hp boiler and low-NOx, high-efficiency Power Flame burner package, in addition to an ASME spray deaerator and triplex feedwater pumps, ASME blowdown separator, chemical feed system and oil pump. Also included are Nationwide Boiler’s motor control panel with a Honeywell RM7800 burner management system with annunciator, and a Siemens 353 PID loop controller for parallel positioning combustion control.

Nationwide Boiler has also completed the overhaul of one of its trailer-mounted Babcock & Wilcox package watertube boilers. This high-pressure boiler, built for 700 psi design pressure, can provide 40,000 lb/hr of saturated steam while operating at pressures from 100 psi to 650 psi.

Utility sector report

Faced with an overwhelming amount of regulatory and market uncertainty, some utilities are beefing up demand-response and energy-efficiency programs, according to a recent report from Deloitte, “From growth to modernization: The changing capital focus of the U.S. utility sector.” U.S. electric and gas utility capital expenditures soared from $69 billion in 2008, to an all-time high estimated for 2016 of about $115 billion. Rapidly rising expenditures are beginning to increase retail electricity rates, and while much of the cost is being offset by lower fuel costs, the threat of potentially rising natural gas prices, increasing interest rates, higher taxes, and a host of other possibilities could intervene to alter capital investment momentum.

Deloitte’s report examines how and where utilities have been investing over a 10-year span (2008-18) and what factors and uncertainties will impact utility investment in years to come.

Key findings include: Capital spending has climbed to unprecedented levels due to the need to upgrade and reinforce electric and gas infrastructure, as well as increasingly severe weather, and cyber and physical threats; Electric transmission & distribution spending has dominated the mix in recent years, and will likely grow further (it accounted for nearly 43% of annual capital expenditures from 2008-2015); generation investments, the second largest category in recent years, are projected to ramp down; and expenditures on natural gas pipelines, storage, and distribution will continue to grow.

In addition, market dynamics are being impacted by millennials aged 21 to 34 who have become the largest and most dominant consumer group and are demanding cleaner sources of energy. In addition, more than half (52 %) of businesses are working to obtain more electricity from renewable sources.

Eastman’s PSM project

Eastman Chemical has been using PSMs FlameSheet combustion system conversion project on two 7F GT’s at its Longview, Texas cogeneration facility. Prior to installation, the plant could operate both GT’s to maximize output, but was exposed to low demand and low market pricing.  When operating just one GT, the plant could meet the host electrical demands, but was unable to ramp to capture high market pricing.  FlameSheet’s extended turndown capability allowed the plant to increase market participation.

FlameSheet is an retrofittable combustion system with operational flexibility characteristics that employs a 2-in-1 can-annular combustor concept. Leveraging fuel and air mixing, it is said to provide up to a 30% GT operating load range increase while maintaining single digit NOx & CO emissions.

Gamesa wind farm[/caption]

Siemens digest

Siemens and Gamesa have signed agreements to merge Siemens’ wind power business, including wind services, with Gamesa to create a global wind power player. Businesses are complementary with regard to markets, products and technology. Siemens will hold 59% of the share capital. The company will have an onshore division headquarters in Spain and an offshore division based in Germany and Denmark.

Gamesa has 22 years of experience in the wind industry and more than 35,200 MW installed, with a footprint in 55 countries. The company has production centers in Spain and China, and maintains local production capacity in India and Brazil.

Siemens received an order to construct two combined cycle power plants (CCPP) in Israel, with a total capacity of 140 MW. The project will involve construction of the Alon Tavor and Ramat Gabriel CCPPs.

Siemens will deliver a SST-300 industrial steam turbine (ST), a SGT-800 gas turbine (GT), and the SPPA-T3000 control system for each project. With an electrical capacity of 70 MW each, the two industrial plants are likely to be commissioned in mid-2018.

Siemens will also manage their turnkey construction. The plants will feature steam extraction systems and electricity generated will be supplied to the national power grid. Alon Tavor will deliver electricity and process steam to a creamery, and Ramat Gabriel power plant will supply power to a fiber factory. The turbines will be manufactured in Brno, Czech Republic, and Finspong, Sweden.

Siemens has received its first order from China for the delivery of four SGT-800 GTs and associated generators. The turbines will be installed in the Shanxi Guoxin Baode and Xiyang decentralized energy projects in Central China. The two CCPPs with heat extraction will have an overall capacity of 308 MW. The customer is Shanxi Natural Gas Limited Company, a subsidiary of Shanxi Provincial Guoxin Energy Development. Commercial operation is scheduled for July 2017.  Siemens delivers four 54 MW SGT-800 GTs. Two GTs and two generators are to be installed in a 2×1 CCPP with heat extraction at each site. The company also supplies all associated auxiliary systems as well as installation and commissioning services for the projects. Both CCPPs will be fired with coalbed methane, a form of natural gas from an unconventional gas reservoir with high hydrogen content.

Siemens has delivered the first of four GTs for Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (Petronas) cogeneration power plant in Pengerang in Malaysia and is set to begin commercial operations by mid-2017. Each unit comes with a waste-heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), associated mechanical and electrical systems and the instrumentation and control system. The steam produced in the HRSG will be partly used to supply up to 1,250 m.t. per hour of steam to various consumers within the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), as well as to produce electricity inside a triple stage ST. On completion, the cogeneration plant will have a capacity of about 1,220 MW.

Siemens has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the Cuban state-owned utility with the intention to modernize the energy infrastructure of the country. Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens and UNE will agree on the development of projects and services within the power generation, transmission and distribution, renewable energy and automation sectors which involve UNE and any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

Siemens has won an order from the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) consortium for six 15 MW SGT-400-driven turbo compressor trains. TAP will open up the so-called Southern Gas Corridor for Europe.

Installation is scheduled for 2017 and the pipeline is expected to begin operating in late 2019. The pipelines in the Southern Gas Corridor will transport natural gas from the Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea to Europe.

Trans-Anatolian Pipeline

TAP represents the missing link that will enable this natural gas resource to be exploited. The 878-kilometer-long pipeline will connect with the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline at the Turkish-Greek border. Its landfall in Italy provides multiple opportunities to transport the natural gas to large European markets such as Germany, France, and the UK. Each of the six gas turbine-driven compressor trains comprises an SGT-400 GT and a Siemens barrel-type STC-SV compressor. Siemens will deliver three compressor trains to the compressor station in Kipoi, Greece.

Siemens delivered the first of its locally produced gas turbines to the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Said to be in line with Saudi Aramco’s In-Kingdom Total Value Add (iktva) program, this power plant will be fueled with gasified refinery residues, which is likely to increase energy efficiency.

Siemens is supplying 10 GTs, specifically designed for synthesis gas (syngas), to Saudi Aramco’s project which will power the 4000 MW power plant and generate 600 tons of high pressure steam per hour to Aramco’s refinery. Two Siemens SST-800 STs are supplying electricity and process steam to a pulp factory in Brazil. The SST-800 has a capacity of 190 megawatts (MW), making it among the largest steam turbines in use in the pulp and paper industry worldwide. The plant has a total capacity of 270 MW.  The customer is Klabin, a leading manufacturer and exporter of paper and packaging. An extraction backpressure steam turbine and a condensing steam turbine supply electricity and process steam for the pulp factory in Ortigueira, in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.

Hospital microturbines

FlexEnergy has received an order for three GT333S natural gas microturbines for a New York hospital. Quad Energy, FlexEnergy’s distributor for New York, secured the order, which is expected to be commissioned in the fall of 2016. The microturbines will be installed in a CHP application to produce 75% of the facility’s electric power and 125 psi steam using a co-fired steam boiler. The combined 1 MW system will operate in a grid connect configuration at over 80% system efficiency. The system is also capable of operating independent of the electricity grid and will provide necessary emergency power to the hospital in cases of electricity grid interruption.

Iranian power stations

Turkish energy company Unit International has agreed to build seven natural gas power plants with a combined installed capacity of 6020 MW, in a deal worth $4.2 billion with Iran’s Energy Ministry. This is said to be the biggest investment in Iran since the lifting of sanctions. The agreement was signed recently at a ceremony in Tehran. A total of seven power stations are to be built in seven separate regions of Iran, and when completed they are likely to meet 10% of Iran’s energy needs. Construction of the plants is expected to begin next year.

Nuclear refurbishment

Ontario Power Generation has awarded two contracts for refurbishment work at the Darlington nuclear power plant to a joint venture formed by SNC-Lavalin and the Aecon Group. The Aecon Group will perform 60% of the work in a $265 million to overhaul all four of the power plant’s steam turbines and related equipment, to extend each reactor’s life by 30 years. SNC-Lavalin will do 40% of the work under that contract. The second contract, worth $127-million, includes construction of a building to house equipment for processing radioactive waste from reactor components. The work for that contract is split 50-50 between the two companies. The reactors will be taken out of service for about three years apiece.

Utility mergers

Mergermarket has released its Energy, Mining & Utilities (EMU) Trend Report for the first half of 2016. Key findings include the fact that merger and acquisition (M&A) dealmaking within the sector continues to see the impact of a lower-for-longer oil pricing environment. Global EMU M&A value in Q2 (305 deals, $88.1 billion) saw a slight 12.9% uptick in value compared to Q1 (309 deals, $78 billion), as oil prices reached above $50/barrel. Despite this, overall M&A activity slumped 45.6% by value for the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2015. EMU accounted for 12.5% of total global M&A activity in the first half of 2016.

Kansas combined cycle

The Empire District Electric Company completed the $168 million Unit 12 CCPP at its Riverton plant. The project is said to be the first large-frame combined cycle unit in Kansas. This involved the upgrade of a simple cycle natural gas unit, originally installed in 2007. The process required the installation of an HRSG, a steam turbine generator, auxiliary boiler, cooling tower, and other associated equipment. This boosts energy output by about 67% while using little additional fuel. It also lowers emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by about 95%, carbon by about 40%, and eliminates emissions of mercury and particulate matter when compared to the recently retired coal units at the site. Burns and McDonnell served as the EPC contractor for the project.

Microturbine upgrade

Capstone has shipped two C1000 microturbines to upgrade an industrial paper mill in Minsk, Belarus. BPC Engineering, Capstone’s distributor in Russia, has secured the order, which is expected to be commissioned later this year. The microturbine installation will serve as part of the paper mill’s boiler house renovation due to the expansion of production lines and an increase in power demand. Capstone microturbines were selected for their ability to reduce the customer’s energy costs as well as make the paper production facility more energy efficient. The natural gas-fueled C1000 microturbines will be installed in a CHP application to provide power to the facility. Additionally, the heat from the clean exhaust will be used to generate about four tons of steam per hour for technological processes, heating and hot water production. The two MW system will operate in dual mode at over 80% system efficiency and cover about 80 to 90% of the facility’s electrical needs, the company said. BPC has over 1,400 microturbines operating in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Panda plant

The Panda Patriot natural gas-fueled generating plant near Montgomery in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, is likely to begin commercial operation, as is a sister facility in Bradford County. Both generating units there have passed emission tests. Although both are adjacent to branches of the Susquehanna River, the 829 MW plants are said to be cooled with air, not water. Construction on a third Panda project, the conversion of the former Sunbury Generation 400 MW coal-fired plant on a 19-acre site in Shamokin Dam to a 1,124 MW natural-gas facility is ongoing. Equipment for the plant is scheduled to move onsite soon. The Hummel Station project, a natural gas power conversion project, is scheduled for completion in early 2018.

RWG contract

Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA OPCO) has awarded RWG a three year support agreement, with the option for a one year extension, to maintain their operational fleet of Siemens Industrial RB211gas generators. The contract was awarded through local partner, Al Ahlia Oilfields Development Company, and the scope includes scheduled overhaul of the gas generators, as well as field service support and maintenance interventions. RWG has an established workshop in UAE and a resident field service presence for over 18 years. Since introduction to service in the 1970s, over 750 Industrial RB211 gas turbine systems have been sold to energy market customers.

D-R in Russia

Dresser-Rand KG2 turbines are providing on-site electrical power for one of Russia’s largest oil producers. In this location, the climate is often severe, with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Average temperatures in January hover just above zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius).

Komi is located about 650 miles north of Moscow and less than 400 miles south of the Arctic Circle. It is among the largest oil and gas producing regions in European Russia and one of the country’s top 10 producers. Since it is in a remote location, there are no external electric power networks. Because of this, it is critical to maintain an uninterrupted power supply. Initially, diesel power stations were used to provide power to the local infrastructure. Lukoil-Komi (a branch of Lukoil) opted to purchase and install four 1.8 MW Dresser-Rand KG2 turbine generator sets and auxiliary equipment. Zvezda-Energetika was selected as the local packager for the four skid-mounted KG2 turbine generator sets.

ISO GT standard

A new ISO procurement standard, ISO 19859:2016, Gas turbine applications — Requirements for power generation, will provide both parties with minimum technical requirements and management of the information exchange between them for the procurement of gas turbine engines that are intended for power generation applications. This procurement standard for GTs is a set of specifications including performance, reliability, lifetime, operational envelope, maintainability, quality assurance, project management, documentation, installation, and commissioning. Negotiating GT engine purchase agreement for a site-built power plant is challenging. This procurement standard will give both purchasers and suppliers a pre-agreed definition of functional specifications, management of interfaces and, crucially, a pre-agreed management of information supply. The supplier can standardize procurement documents and expect a reduction in the variability of content and quality of tenders supplied by purchasers.

GE digest

GE and EDF officially began operation of the first ever CCPP equipped with GE’s HA turbine in Bouchain, France with an achieved efficiency rate of up to 62.22%. These machines are capable of reaching full power in less than 30 minutes. The Bouchain plant (605 MW) also demonstrates GE’s Digital Power Plant capabilities, including the digital control system, which uses real-time data to deliver better plant outcomes while providing predictive insight.

GE’s Power Services business recently agreed to provide parts and repair services to two Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) plants, including the South Bangkok Combined Cycle Block II facility. The six-year agreement is part of GE’s ongoing work to upgrade EGAT’s fleet of four GE 9F gas turbines at the utility’s two power plants. GE recently upgraded the GTs by installing its Dry Low NOx 2.6+ (DLN2.6+) combustion hardware and OpFlex AutoTune software in order to improve the operational flexibility by allowing them to run reliably on a wider range of natural gas compositions, while reducing site emissions.

GE and Technip

GE Oil & Gas and Technip have signed a MOU for a joint project to explore areas to co-develop digital solutions for the LNG industry, with a particular focus on the design and build phase of new LNG projects. The two companies will work together to evaluate the application of digital solutions to the EPC, startup and operation of facilities. This is the first digital collaboration between them to explore areas to develop Predix-based solutions.

GE recently bagged a contract from Sembcorp Utilities to supply two 6F.03 GTs, the associated STs and HRSGs for the proposed 225 MW Myingyan power project in Mandalay, Myanmar. GE will be responsible for the design, supply, and installation of two HRSGs and a reheat steam turbine. The $300 million independent power plant (IPP) is expected to be commissioned in early 2018.

GE’s Power Services business recently signed an agreement to retrofit four Toshiba STs at the POSCO Pohang Works steel manufacturing facility in Pohang, Republic of South Korea. The project is likely to extend the operating life of the power plant and nearly double the turbines’ ability to generate process steam used for steel production. The plant’s current total on-site generating capacity is 1,079 MW and meets about 50% of the factory’s internal energy requirements. The plant also incorporates two 110 MW GT11N2 GTs and one 120 MW ST in combined-cycle mode as well as a 100 MW ST. The output of each turbine is expected to increase up to 78 MW.

GE recently signed a MOU with Hanwha Techwin, aviation and defense manufacturing unit of South Korean Hanwha Grouto to produce GTs and compressor packages. Hanwha Techwin will source GT and compressors and assemble GT generators and compressors that are used to produce and boost electricity. The Korean company also secured sales rights on gas turbines for small-sized electric generators.

GE announced that the first turbine of Al-Khaleej steam power plant has been brought into operation. The turbine generates 350 MW that is likely to help reduce the blackouts in Tripoli.

The plant, 30 km west of Sirte, Libya, was closed down in June 2015, and was recaptured one year later. Al-Khaleej steam power plant project involves the construction of a power plant firing natural gas and heavy and light fuel oils, comprising four turbines. Engineered by South Korean firms Hyundai and Doosan, each turbine will be rated at a nominal gross of 350 MW for a total of 1,400 MW.

9FA Upgrade

In addition, GE 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 GT including Advanced Gas Path (AGP), Advanced Extendors Combustion and DLN2.6+. This 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%.

GE’s Power Services business announced the completion of a GT upgrade project in Oregon. For Washington-state utility Avista, GE’s Power Services business upgraded the utility’s 280 MW Coyote Springs Power Generation Facility Unit 2 in Boardman, Oregon. The utility installed GE’s AGP and DLN2.6+ combustion technologies and increased the plant’s flexibility, plant capacity by 18 MW in combined-cycle mode and fuel efficiency by 1.56%.

Ansaldo contracts

Ansaldo Energia will proceed on two contracts signed last year, worth a total of about $88 million. The first contract covers the supply of two AE94.2 GTs and two air-cooled generators with the relative auxiliary systems for 500 MW Grati-Pasuruan CCPP in eastern Java. The customer is Lotte E&C.

Designed to manage non-conventional fuels such as naphtha, crude and heavy fuel oil, low BTU gases, hydrogen rich fuels, coal gases, and dwell gases, the AE94.2 reaches baseload condition in less than 15 minutes. It is said to have a fast load ramp that makes it suitable for grid support. The second contract covers the refurbishment of a 30 MW geothermal plant in Kamojang, western Java. Acting as EPC, Ansaldo Energia is supplying the geothermal steam turbine and relative air-cooled generator. The customer is PT PLN company Indonesia Power.