“Blue Sky” From GE Turbine Upgrades In Shenzhen

GE announced that it has successfully completed the world’s first installation of its DLN1.0+ with Ultra Low NOx combustion upgrade on nine GE 9E gas turbines at five power generation enterprises in China. The five Shenzhen power generation operations are Shenzhen Nanshan Power Corp., Shenzhen New Power Corp., Shenzhen Datang Baochang Gas Power Generation Co. Ltd., Shenzhen Yuhu Power Co. Ltd. and CNOOC Shenzhen Power Co. Ltd.

GE made the announcement during the Shenzhen Blue Sky DLN1.0+ Retrofit Project Completion Celebration Event it co-hosted with Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau and Shenzhen Nanshan Power Corp. More than 100 power plant operators attended the event.

“Power generation companies are currently facing dual pressure from environmental indicators and economic performance,” said Liang Jianqiang, head of Shenzhen Nanshan Power Plant. “We continue to search for a two-way solution to help contribute to local blue skies while improving asset performance.

“GE’s DLN 1.0+ Ultra Low NOx combustion upgrade is a perfect fit for our needs. Through this cooperation, GE has not only confirmed its technological advantage, but also demonstrated its excellent capabilities in execution. With the help of GE, we have succeeded in upgrading our plants while maintaining a steady supply of energy.”

GE said the upgrade reduces NOx emissions from 50mg/m3 (about 25 ppm) to 15mg/m3 (about 7.5 ppm), thus contributing to Shenzhen Municipal Government’s “Blue Sky” campaign, which requires all gas-fired power plants in the city to lower their emissions below 15mg/m³ in six months. Plants that fail to comply with the requirements will be taken offline.

“We admire the Shenzhen Municipal Government’s adherence to greener and low-carbon development and the efforts to improve the living standards of their citizens,” said Yang Dan, CEO of GE Power China. “GE’s DLN1.0+ with Ultra Low NOx reduced emissions and is contributing to the Shenzhen Municipal Government’s ‘Blue Sky’ sustainability plan to improve air quality.

“The successful modernization of nine gas turbines – in a record time of less than six months – provides a reference for many 9E units to repower and adapt to the needs of the new era. GE is proud to bring a real contribution to the ‘blue sky’ battle, and we hope to continue cooperating with more provinces and cities in the future.”

Completed on schedule, GE said the project mobilized more than 200 experts from China and around the world for factory repairs to meet specific timeframe requirements and meet performance targets. The project serves as a model for plant operators that are operating more mature gas turbine fleets in China and around the globe, GE said.

NOx emissions produced in the combustion system increase with the temperature of the flame. A flame with a lower temperature will produce less NOx, and the key is to be able to mix air and fuel together prior to burning. GE’s DLN 1.0+ with Ultra Low NOx upgrade is an improved combustion system for the DLN 1.0 that can reduce NOx down to 5 ppm.

GE said the new configuration includes:

– More robust materials and improved thermal barrier coatings to extend maintenance interval and parts life.

– New combustion hardware, including the fuel nozzle, liner and transition piece, all engineered to improve the mixing of air with fuel and enhance the hot gas temperature profile to achieve low emissions.

– Combustion dynamics monitoring system and improved controls system using Corrected Parameter Control (CPC), an advanced controls feature that uses real-time information, such as ambient humidity, ambient temperature, inlet and exhaust pressure losses to adjust the fuel splits between the primary and secondary fuel circuit and maintain the emissions below the target.

In addition, GE said the upgrade allows the units to accept fuels with larger Wobbe index fluctuations, expanding gas source choices and helping the units to operate flexibly. The upgrade can potentially extend combustion system maintenance intervals to 32,000 hours or 1300 starts and stops (equivalent to four consecutive years of stable operation), reduce maintenance costs, increase operational flexibility, and extend the life span of related equipment.

GE said DLN 1.0+ with Ultra Low NOx is based on 43 million hours of operating experience and advanced combustion technology for its B-class and E-class fleet of gas turbines. It suggests a big potential for the nearly 700 GE 9E turbines and approximately 1000 GE 6B gas turbines operating around the world.