Turbine developments |
HA gas turbines support the coal-to-gas transition in Ohio
GE Vernova’s Gas Power business has announced the start of commercial operation of Caithness Energy’s 1875 MW Guernsey power station in Guernsey County, south eastern Ohio, in the heart of the state’s Utica and Marcellus shale gas development area. Powered by GE’s HA combined cycle equipment, the Guernsey power plant delivers power to the PJM energy market, which co- ordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia. In a recent paper, Energy transition in PJM: resource retirements, replacements & risks, PJM reported that coal fired generation retirements
might outpace new entries, and, at the same time, load will increase, creating concerns over resource adequacy and grid stability in the region.
“In 2022, coal-fired plant retirements accounted for approximately 89% of retired capacity in the PJM region and as more and more coal fired plants are retired, the need for thermal resources and the essential reliable and flexible power they provide is crucial for grid stability and to help meet the increasing demand for power,” said Ross D. Ain, president of Caithness Energy. “Flexibility may be considered as the key feature of Guernsey plant, powered by three GE 7HA.02 gas turbines in single shaft combined
cycle configurations, the largest of this kind in the United States.”
The plant’s three 7HA.02 gas turbines power three W84 generators, three STF-A650 steam turbines and three GE triple-pressure-with-reheat heat recovery steam generators.
GE will service the facility for 20 years under a multi-year services agreement and provide cloud- based predictive analytics through GE Digital’s Asset Performance Management Reliability (APM Reliability) software powered by SmartSignal. APM Reliability “will help predict potential asset failures and reduce unplanned downtime, while improving power plant productivity and reliability,” says GE.
Guernsey power station
“Gas power plays a crucial role in the energy transition, helping to balance the variable nature of renewables and ensuring system reliability,” said Dave Ross, CEO of GE Gas Power, Americas. “Our 7HA.02 gas turbines, which can burn up to 20% hydrogen with plans to transition to 100% hydrogen over the next decade, are a highly efficient energy solution to help power plant operators, like Caithness Energy, to advance their carbon emissions reduction goals.” The 7HA’s enhanced fuel flexibility enables it to accommodate a wide range of gaseous fuels (shale gas, high ethane, hydrogen) and liquid fuels (#2 diesel, crude oils). The 7HA gas turbine ramps up to full load in 10 minutes, says GE, and “features a novel configuration that supports simplified installation and maintenance.”
ETN takes the initiative on gas turbine life assessment and extension
ETN Global has launched the Gas Turbine Life Assessment and Extension Working Group. This initiative aims to tackle the challenges associated with extending the life of gas turbines, with a specific focus on critical parts such as hot gas path components, rotors, and compressors. ETN describes the initiative as “aligned with sustainability goals, promoting the utilisation of existing parts and reducing operational costs, while also contributing to the conservation of precious materials.”
Traditionally, gas turbine components are designed with a nominal design life as determined by the original equipment manufacturer. However, advancements in technology and operational practices have provided operators with an opportunity to extend the useful life of these components beyond their initial recommended limits.
ETN Global’s Gas Turbine Life Assessment and Extension initiative seeks to explore the feasibility of extending the life of these components and
developing effective strategies to manage the associated risks.
The Working Group has identified several key initiatives that will be addressed, each dedicated to specific aspects of gas turbine life assessment and extension:
Enhancing confidence in life prediction: This initiative focuses on employing advanced non-destructive inspection techniques to improve confidence in predicting the remaining life of critical parts under cyclic duties. Rotor and disc lifing: By developing an engineering platform and utilising non- destructive inspections, this initiative aims to estimate the time to initiate creep and fatigue cracks in rotors and discs, enabling informed decisions regarding their life extension. Compressor integrity and reliability: This initiative seeks to develop comprehensive inspection and risk assessment methods to address the integrity and reliability of compressor parts, minimising the risk of
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unplanned outages and enhancing overall compressor performance.
Dr Siavash Pahlavanyali, RINA Consulting, is the chairman of the new working group. He emphasises the importance of collaboration and “invites owners, operators, and service providers to join forces and contribute to these critical engineering analyses. By working together, we can expand our knowledge, effectively manage risks, and extend the useful life of gas turbine components.”
ETN Global says the new initiative offers a valuable opportunity to overcome significant challenges “by working towards finding solutions associated with gas turbine life assessment in the face of evolving fuel options and increased cyclic operations.”
For more information:
https://etn.global/ research-innovation/working-groups/gt-life- assessment-and-extension-wg/ Email: Rene Vijgen, ETN Senior Technical Manager,
rv@etn.global
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