A Record For Plant Efficiency

GE Power announced that the Chubu Electric Nishi-Nagoya power plant Block-1 – powered by GE’s 7HA gas turbine – was named the most efficient combined-cycle power plant by Guinness World Records by achieving 63.08% gross efficiency.

In addition to the HA gas turbine, the plant uses Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions (ESS) Corp.’s steam turbine and generator technology, and overall plant system design and construction were achieved by Toshiba ESS.

With this latest achievement, GE said its HA turbine has been recognized for powering the world’s most efficient power plants in both the 50hz and 60hz energy segments. In June of 2016, GE Power and EDF were acknowledged by Guinness for delivering the world’s most efficient combined-cycle plant in a 50hz segment, powered by the 9HA turbine.  The facility, in Bouchain, France, achieved an efficiency rate of 62.22% net efficiency and was also the world’s first combined-cycle plant equipped with GE’s HA turbine.

“We’re very proud to make history once again and to partner with Chubu and Toshiba to bring GE’s industry-leading HA turbine to Japan,” said Russell Stokes, president and chief executive officer of GE Power. “Our HA technology enables the power plant of the future, delivering unprecedented levels of efficiency and reliability that can help countries everywhere meet today’s power demands and reach more aggressive emissions goals.”

GE supplied three 7HA.01 gas turbines to the Nishi-Nagoya Block-1 power plant, which provides more than 1188 MW of power to the grid, the equivalent power needed to supply approximately 2.7 million average homes in Japan.  GE said the HA gas turbines are the fastest growing fleet of gas turbines in the world, and have achieved more than 88000 operating hours of proven experience globally.

“To support manufacturing by providing a stable and inexpensive power supply in Chubu, Japan’s central region, we have been making unremitting efforts to construct power generation facilities that achieve the world’s highest levels of output and efficiency,” said Satoru Katsuno, president & director of Chubu Electric Power.

Japan is currently in a transition to cleaner, more efficient power generation. Low-cost natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plants and renewables are becoming more important in the country as demand growth slows and utilities face more competition due to deregulation. When Chubu Electric was looking to replace its 40-year-old Nishi-Nagoya facility, it selected a higher efficiency and more flexible large block gas turbine that could support multi-combined-cycle operation, provide low NOx emissions, and run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel.

The 7HA’s fuel flexibility accommodates a wide range of gas and liquid fuels, including high ethane (shale) gas and LNG. Additionally, the 7HA can ramp up to full load in less than 30 minutes allowing for greater grid stability with renewable and alternative energy sources. The efficiency gains should help Chubu Electric reduce fuel costs and CO² emissions.

GE supplied three more 7HA.01 gas turbines to Block-2 of the Nishi Nagoya facility, which is expected to achieve commercial operation at the end of March 2018. Japan and the U.S. represent the largest 60Hz energy regions. GE already has two similar power plants fully commissioned in Texas that use 7HA technology, with many others coming online this year. Around the world, we will bring more than 30 HA units into commercial operation in 2018.