MHI to supply two M501GAC gas turbines for new GTCC plant in the US

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has been selected to supply two M501GAC gas turbines to be installed at the 1,000 MW Wildcat Point Generation Facility of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), a power generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. The contract will be officially signed soon, together with a separate long-term service agreement (LTSA) for the gas turbines. The generation facility is scheduled to go online in 2017.

The turbines will be the key components of a natural gas-fired gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation plant to be newly built by ODEC. The GTCC power generation system will consist of two M501GAC gas turbines, a steam turbine, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and a generator. The gas turbines will be manufactured at MPSA's Savannah Machinery Works in Savannah, Georgia.

The generators will be supplied by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. After the plant begins operating, under the LTSA arrangement MPSA will provide the Wildcat Point Generation Facility with comprehensive turbine maintenance and management services, replacement parts supply, and dedicated remote turbine monitoring.

Gas turbine combined cycle power plants generate electricity in two stages through the combined use of gas and steam turbines. By using high-temperature exhaust from the gas turbine to produce the steam that drives the steam turbine, combined cycle power plants achieve higher thermal efficiency, lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.

The order for the two gas turbines will be placed with Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. (MPSA), MHI's wholly owned subsidiary for power systems business in the U.S. ODEC's proposed GTCC plant will be built five miles west of the Town of Rising Sun, Maryland, on a site adjacent to two simple-cycle peaking generation units owned by ODEC. To date, MHI has received orders for more than 80 units of its G series worldwide, including more than 40 in North America; and 13 of those units are the M501GAC.