Alstom has commissioned the world’s first dual fuel RLM6000 PD gas turbine at a CHP boilerhouse at a British Sugar factory in the UK.

The gas turbine genset, capable of operating on either natural gas or distillate fuel, was packaged, installed and commissioned by Alstom at the beet sugar factory at Wissington, entering operation in December 1998. It is the first gas turbine of its type in the world to enter commercial operation with full dual fuel dry low emissions capability.

The Wissington plant is the largest beet sugar factory in Europe. The turbine supplies 44 MWe to the site, the surplus being sold to the grid. The plant includes a back pressure steam turbine to increase capacity to 70 MWe, giving the plant an overall efficiency of about 90 per cent.