OREANDA-NEWS. PSEG Power, a subsidiary of PSEG, has ordered a 7HA.02 gas turbine engineered equipment package from GE (NYSE: GE) for the Bridgeport Harbor Generating Station in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This marks the second order in recent weeks for GE’s high-efficiency technology in the New England region.

The 7HA.02 package includes a gas turbine, a steam turbine, associated generators and a former Alstom-engineered heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that is now part of the GE portfolio. The high-efficiency package will be used in an expansion of the existing Bridgeport Harbor facility and will clear the way to retire an existing coal-fired unit in operation for nearly 50 years. The unit is the last coal-fired plant in Connecticut; its retirement will help the state meet requirements expected under the federal government’s proposed Clean Power Plan.

PSEG also marked a major milestone in its efforts to digitize its fleet recently, connecting five plants with plans to connect others (both GE and other original equipment manufacturers) to its state-of-the-art Monitoring & Diagnostic (M&D) Center. PSEG partnered with GE to deploy asset-performance management tools to improve predictive analytics and its ability to manage its fleet across generating capabilities.

PSEG’s plants account for more than 6 gigawatts of electricity and are an example of the growing trend of energy companies like PSEG leveraging the power of the Industrial Internet to increase efficiency.

“With these advanced technologies from GE, PSEG can provide cleaner, more reliable energy to Connecticut and the region for many years to come,” said Rich Lopriore, president of PSEG Fossil. “The environmental benefits of this project are essential, and we’re pleased to have received strong community support.”

At the Bridgeport Harbor facility, the existing coal-fired steam turbine has only run about 800 hours per year due to lower efficiency and higher emissions output. The new 485-megawatt (MW) 7HA.02-based combined-cycle power plant is expected to be one of the most efficient facilities in Connecticut, capable of running nearly 8,000 hours per year with lower emissions while providing the equivalent power needed to supply nearly 500,000 U.S. households. The new plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2019.

“These projects demonstrate the value of combining GE's HA gas turbine with our complementary steam tail technologies and the power of software,” said Joe Mastrangelo, president and CEO of gas power systems, GE Power. “In Connecticut, GE's high-efficiency technologies will provide cleaner, more efficient power and help give PSEG a real advantage to getting power on the grid.”

The new 7HA.02 unit at the Bridgeport facility will run primarily on natural gas, but also will be able to operate on ultra-low-sulfur distillate as a backup fuel, an important option in the ISO-NE region where—despite an increasing supply of natural gas—long, cold winters require units that can operate on backup fuel.

Benefits of the 7HA.02 include:

  • Plant flexibility: The ability of the 7HA.02 to ramp up or down at 50-MW per minute is viewed as a tremendous benefit to PSEG and ISO-NE, especially as intermittent renewable resources are added to the grid.
  • Rapid response: The 7HA.02 engineered equipment package is a full rapid-response plant, able to start up and achieve emissions compliance in as little as 30 minutes while providing over 200 MW of power to the grid within 10 minutes.
  • Largest, most-efficient 60 Hz gas turbine: The 7HA.02 gas turbine is the world’s largest 60 Hz gas turbine and provides high power density and lower total installed costs. It also creates lower amounts of greenhouse gas emissions per megawatt hour.

GE’s H-class technology has been embraced by customers in Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, the United States, France, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Argentina.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. 

About GE Power

GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity industry with the digital power plant, the world’s largest and most efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable, reliable, accessible and sustainable.

 

About PSEG

PSEG Power Connecticut’s Bridgeport Harbor and New Haven Harbor stations are part of PSEG Power LLC’s generating fleet.

PSEG Power LLC is an independent power producer that generates and sells electricity in the wholesale market, with a fleet totaling 11,782 MWs of electric generating capacity. It is a nationally recognized industry leader on environmental issues. PSEG Fossil LLC is one of four main subsidiaries of PSEG Power, and operates the company’s portfolio of natural gas, coal and oil-fired electric generating units.