In a recent release, GE Power has announced that commercial operation has been achieved for the Chubu Electric Power Company’s Nishi-Nagoya power plant Block-1 in Japan with GE’s gas turbines through Toshiba (News - Alert), the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company for the plant. The new plant block uses GE’s highest efficiency 7HA gas turbine technology and Toshiba’s steam turbine technology, and will not be able to provide more than 1,188 megawatts of power to the grid with better than 62 percent thermal efficiency, enough equivalent electricity to supply approximately 400,000 average homes in Japan.
This is the culmination of several years of collaboration between Chubu, Toshiba and GE to support highly-efficient thermal power generation in Japan. Chubu was initially looking to support the government’s initiative for cleaner, more efficient power generation by replacing its 40-year-old Nishi-Nagoya facility.
GE is delivering a total of six 7HA.01 gas turbines for Nishi-Nagoya power plant. The HA is GE’s largest and most efficient gas turbine family; at the heart of Nishi-Nagoya, the 7HA will help increase thermal efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to other thermal power technologies.
“GE’s HA technology underscores our company’s commitment to powering the world with more efficient energy solutions, and we are proud to achieve this milestone with Chubu and Toshiba,” said Bill Horie, country executive, GE Power in Japan. “The 7HA is a prime example of the important role GE can play in Asia’s energy future, and the HA’s proven operational experience in the field will provide more reliable, efficient and flexible power for years to come.”
GE’s HA gas turbines have achieved more than 30,000 combined operating hours of proven experience globally. The 7HA’s can use a range of gas and liquid fuels, including high ethane (shale) gas and LNG.