OREANDA-NEWS. November 06, 2012. With Angola looking for more cost-effective, flexible energy supplies to improve grid reliability and counter the rising cost of diesel fuel, GE (NYSE: GE) is supplying five trailer-mounted, TM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbines to LS Energia (LSE) on behalf of Angolan state utility Empresa Nacional Eectricidade-E.P. (ENE).

GE announced the Angola TM2500+ order at this week’s POWER-GEN Africa trade conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ecomagination™-qualified TM2500+ is a core product of GE’s PowerXpand™ Portfolio, which GE unveiled earlier in 2012 to help meet the growing need for rapid power generation throughout Africa and around the world.

LSE—an engineering, procurement and construction company—selected GE’s TM2500+ solution after ENE awarded LS the contract to supply 120 MW of on-site capacity to help enhance Angola’s grid reliability.

GE’s TM2500+ provides up to 31 MW of fast and reliable on-site generating capacity. The system can be used to provide utilities with a “baseload bridge” to support permanent power installations; backup power to support natural disaster relief efforts; or for plant shutdowns or equipment maintenance. The fuel-flexible system can use either natural gas or liquid-distillate.

“GE’s TM2500+ systems offer the right combination of efficiency and reliability needed to help ENE reduce its fuel costs and increase the reliability of grid service in order to support continued economic growth in Angola. We are providing a complete solution from fuel supply to electricity on the grid. Our partnership with GE gives the customer a single point of contact," said Nyembo Ilunga, president, LSE Africa.

In addition to the TM2500+ units—each packaged on a two-trailer system with a top-mounted air inlet filter and exhaust assemblies—GE’s scope of services for LSE includes providing training for instrumentation and controls and operations and maintenance.

GE will deliver the TM2500+ units to LSE with commercial startup scheduled for December 2012. The LSE order is GE’s third TM2500+ power project in Angola.

“Our TM2500+ and other products in our PowerXpand portfolio are ideally suited to help meet the demand for fast, mobile power in countries that are seeking more permanent energy and water infrastructure solutions,” said Darryl Wilson, president and CEO—aeroderivative gas turbines for GE Power & Water. “With a population of 19 million people but only a 26 percent electrification rate, Angola is a perfect example of how a country can use GE’s PowerXpand Portfolio to provide greater long-term energy and economic security to residents and businesses alike.”

GE’s PowerXpand™ Portfolio features several GE technologies designed for customers looking to address temporary power needs or in search of permanent power “in a pinch.” The portfolio consists of GE’s TM2500 and TM2500+ mobile aeroderivative gas turbine generator sets, the Jenbacher J320 containerized gas engine generator set and the V250/V228 diesel engine generator set.