GE has won a contract from RWE Generation to provide plant equipment upgrades and advanced digital solutions for the latter’s 400MW combined-cycle power plant in the UK.
In this regard, GE’s Power Services business will deploy its Fleet360 total plant solutions to boost the competitiveness, reliability and flexibility of the Great Yarmouth power station located in Norfolk.
GE’s Fleet360 solutions are expected to help RWE with new options to increase the life cycle of the Great Yarmouth combined-cycle power plant. Further, the solutions are also intended to increase the amount of power transmitted by the plant to the grid.
RWE Generation hard coal and gas power plant UK director Steve Glover said: “When first commissioned in 2002, the Great Yarmouth facility was one of the U.K.’s most efficient power stations. Since then, the power industry has grown and evolved, with newer power plants—like our stations at Pembroke and Staythorpe—allowing for more efficient and reliable power generation.
“At RWE, we contemplated multiple operating scenarios for our Great Yarmouth plant. Ultimately, we decided to implement GE’s technologies and digital solutions to improve plant performance, output, efficiency and flexibility in a cost-effective manner.”
The Great Yarmouth power plant comprises a GE 9F.03 gas turbine and a GE D10 steam turbine and generator. GE’s scope in the project includes an upgrade to the gas turbine upgrade alongside major inspections of the steam turbine and generator.
The US-based company will also replace important components in the steam turbine under the contract.
Also included in the upgrades are GE’s Dry Low NOx 2.6+ combustion system, Asset Performance Management advanced digital solution, Advanced Gas Path solution, Mark VIe integrated control system and related gas and steam turbine generator maintenance.
Following the upgrade through Fleet360 solutions, the combined-cycle efficiency of the Great Yarmouth plant is to move up by up to 2% while the electricity output is anticipated to be boosted by 21MW. By this, an additional 330,000 homes will be covered by the surplus energy generated by the enhanced combined-cycle power plant.
GE Power Services business Europe vice president Michael Rechsteiner said: “We will inject our advanced technologies in both the combustion and hot gas path sections and implement digital solutions to help RWE’s Great Yarmouth power station meet future U.K. energy consumption targets and emissions thresholds.”
The upgrade is scheduled to be done by GE in the second quarter of next year.
Image: GE to improve flexibility and performance of the Great Yarmouth power station. Photo: courtesy of General Electric.