General Electric Power Generation Services has been selected to help a Beijing power plant reduce its emissions and boost efficiency.The cornerstone of China’s $40 bullion plan to power the 2008 Olympics was the Taiyanggong Thermal Power Station. The 780-MW natural gas-fired plant in Beijing was the first step in an effort to improve electricity generation facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the country.
Less than a decade after Taiyanggong came online, China has taken the first steps to reduce the operational costs and environmental impact of existing plants. It selected GE to upgrade and rebuild two gas turbines at the Taiyanggong plant. The project will result in combustion systems that are simpler and more flexible in terms of fuel used to generate electricity. In addition, the agreement calls for GE to provide maintenance through 2025, a first-of-its-kind service model that sets an example for Chinese utilities looking to reduce their operational costs and environmental impact of existing power plants, GE says.
Once GE’s upgrades are complete, the Taiyanggong station should have no visible emissions when it starts up.
The GE upgrades also can improve financial returns for operators while increasing overall operating efficiency and lower fuel costs. GE’s maintenance oversight may enable plants to extend maintenance intervals, reducing downtime. As a result, plants should have increased operating hours that will boost revenue.
Last week GE announced an agreement with Cascade Technologies that will focus on applying and improving simulation software that enables engineers to virtually look inside a gas turbine as it operates and gain a better understanding of the turbulent fluid, chemical and acoustic processes occurring within advanced, low-emissions gas-turbine combustion systems.
