Korean Heating Plant Gets GE Equipment

GE will supply power generation equipment for a new district heating plant located in the center of Naepo City, South Korea.

The order from Naepo Green Energy Co. Ltd. (Naepo) calls for GE’s 60 Hertz gas turbine, the 7HA.02. with its matching H65 generator. The order also includes one STF-D650 steam turbine, one H35 generator, one heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), one GE condenser and equipment maintenance services for 19 years. The plant will have the capacity to generate approximately 500 MW, the equivalent output needed to power approximately 125 000 South Korean homes. Also, it will provide steam for district heating for more than 100 000 citizens of Naepo City and eliminate their need to purchase and maintain individual hot water boilers, providing important support for the city’s colder winter months.

“We chose GE technology to support our efforts in delivering cleaner and more efficient combined heat and power because of its notable history of on-time and safe delivery of equipment for this kind of application in South Korea,” said Mr. Dongsoo Kim, EVP of NPGE. “We trust GE’s equipment to help us in meeting the energy and heating needs of our communities in Naepo City, with temperatures as low as 14^o F, or -10 ^o C, in the winter months,  and look to GE to provide maintenance support to help ensure we deliver operational excellence for years to come. In addition, using GE technology for this district heating application will help us meet the Government of South Korea’s objective of shifting away from solid refuse fuel as part of its policy to reduce pollutants.”

Naepo District Heating Plant, which will be built by Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (Lotte E&C), will benefit from the HA technology capable of reaching close to  64% efficiency in combined cycle, and more than 91% efficiency in district heating mode. This process, by capturing and reusing wasted heat or steam that would otherwise be released into the environment and go unutilized, will generate more energy per unit of fuel with lower carbon emissions.

“District heating is a highly efficient energy solution that delivers energy savings and relevant reductions in CO2 and NOx emissions” said James Kim, Country Leader of GE Gas Power. “We’re proud to work with Naepo Green Energy Co. to support South Korea’s district heating needs as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. GE’s HA gas turbines are the world’s largest and the most efficient gas turbines, offering low life cycle cost of electricity generation for 60Hz customer. With industry leading combined cycle capability for district heating operation, GE’s HA gas turbines are a natural choice for this kind of application.”
GE is a major player in power generation in South Korea. GE’s gas turbines (simple and combined cycle) have the capacity to generated more than 14 000 MW of electricity with an installed base of over 75 units. GE has been present in South Korea since 1976, working closely with local partners to support the country’s growth in energy, advanced infrastructure and healthcare.  In 2015 GE undertook a large-scale manufacturing plant investment in Changwon, South Korea, by acquiring Doosan’s HRSG manufacturing business.