| Turbine developments
First 7HA.03 units go commercial, at Dania Beach
Since its introduction in 2014, GE’s HA gas turbine has achieved sales of some 137 units. The latest version is the 7HA.03, the first of which have just started commercial operation
In June, GE and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) celebrated the start of commercial operation of the first GE 7HA.03 gas turbines, at FPL’s Dania Beach Clean Energy Center, near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. According to GE, the 7HA.03 is “the largest, most efficient, and flexible 60 Hz gas turbine currently in operation globally.” Powered by two GE 7HA.03 machines, the Dania Beach combined cycle plant has an installed capacity of 1260 MW.
“FPL has worked for more than two decades to systematically modernise our fleet of power plants by tearing down aging, inefficient plants and replacing them with ultra-efficient, clean energy centres like the one in Dania Beach,” said FPL Chairman and CEO Eric Silagy. These produce “around-the-clock power”, the company notes, enabling FPL to continue its rapid solar expansion, which is the largest in the United States.
Looking ahead, FPL says it believes that, with some modifications, its natural gas units – like the ones at Dania Beach – may be fueled with hydrogen instead of by natural gas and is currently developing a pilot project that will trial the use of green hydrogen to replace a portion of the natural gas at its power plant in Okeechobee County, Florida, which also uses GE technology. GE says the 7HA.03 gas turbine has the capability to burn up to 50% by volume of hydrogen blended with natural gas. This capability is enabled by the DLN 2.6e combustion system deployed on the 7HA.03 units, as installed at Dania Beach. GE says it has developed a technology roadmap that envisages 100% hydrogen with th
at combustion platform over the next decade. Above: Dania Beach Clean Energy Centre, Florida: 7HA.03 based combined cycle plant (photo: FPL)
Developments in hydrogen-based power generation mean that gas turbines “can represent a destination technology, not just a bridging technology”, GE contends. The performance of the 7HA.03 gas turbine – more than 64% net combined-cycle efficiency, 75 MW per minute ramp rate, and enhanced flexibility – were validated at GE’s Test Stand 7 in Greenville, SC, USA, which GE describes as “the largest and most comprehensive full-speed, full- load gas turbine test facility in the world.” Testing of the 7HA.03 in Greenville was executed in parallel with the installation of the
two gas turbines at Dania Beach, with immediate benefits for the on-site team from the rigorous testing and learning programs.
GE validated the turbine control system settings and provided the adjustments to system software for improved turbine operability and reliability. In addition, factory testing of GE’s 7HA.03 gas turbine helped to validate the proposition that it currently provides the lowest cost conversion of gas to electricity for 60 Hz grids.
Construction of the 7HA.03 based power plant benefits from a high degree of modularisation, GE notes, resulting in better plant economics and shorter installation time – approximately eight weeks less than for a GE F class turbine. GE’s says its HA gas turbine fleet (in operation, under construction, ordered) now numbers 137 units, with more than 50 customers across 20 countries. As of May 2022, there were 69 HA gas turbines in commercial operation, with a total installed capacity of 36 GW, and these machines have accumulated over 1.3 million operating hours of commercial experience.
Among recent notable HA orders was that for a 9HA.02 from Energa (part of the Orlen Group) for the Ostroleka C combined cycle power plant in north east Poland. This will play a strategic role in supporting the acceleration of renewable
Left: Indeck Niles Energy Centre, Michigan, equipped with two 7HA.02 gas turbines (photo: Indeck Niles)
www.modernpowersystems.com | July/August 2022 | 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93
