In alignment with the trend of decoupling steam production from power production in cogeneration applications in combined-cycle plants, Novel turned to GE Power to modernize its power station in Novara, Italy.

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Image: GE’s total gas plant services solutions to increase Novel’s competitiveness in Italian electricity market. Photo courtesy of General Electric.

Novel is a joint venture between the Swiss energy company Alpiq and Geogreen, owned by Radici Group.

“We’re excited that GE’s hardware and software solutions will help us improve plant competitiveness in the Italian ‘Electricity Market’ and modernize this asset, which is a strategic move for Alpiq and Radici shareholders,” said Massimiliano Bignami, CEO of Novel S.p.A. “We trust GE’s solutions will give our 100-megawatt combined-cycle power plant more flexibility, reliability and output with lower emissions, matching the sustainability targets of the company.”

GE will upgrade its GE gas turbine with an array of Fleet360 total gas plant services to increase power and steam for the industrial process at Radici Chimica’s chemical plant. The surplus power will be sold to the Italian “Electricity Market.” GE also will install its Asset Performance Management (APM) software solution—a first-of-its-kind digital solution for Novel that includes predictive maintenance capabilities and 24/7 remote monitoring from GE’s global Monitoring & Diagnostics Center in Atlanta. GE also will provide its DLN 2.6 combustion system with Mark* VIe solutions, which will expand the power station’s operational flexibility to meet its power demands while reducing costs.

“We look forward to taking our facility into the future with GE’s powerful predictive maintenance digital solutions that will help us decrease our operating expenses and increase overall power reliability,” said Maurizio Radici, vice president of Novel S.p.A.

These modernizations will improve asset management, enhance the Novara plant’s performance and ultimately help Radici Group be more competitive in the chemical industry at a global level.

“Today, additional flexibility to decouple steam production from power production is ‘the’ trend in cogeneration applications at combined-cycle plants,” said Michael Rechsteiner, CEO of GE’s Power Services business in Europe. “Novel’s choice to upgrade its gas turbine with GE’s APM software solution and DLN 2.6 pre-combustor system should be considered an industry best practice.”

Source: Company Press Release.