OREANDA-NEWS. Toshiba Corporation and GE announced Toshiba has received an order for a high efficiency combined-cycle thermal power generation system from Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. (HEPCO) for the Ishikariwan Shinko Power Plant Unit 1, HEPCO’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled thermal power plant. The combined-cycle thermal power generation system combines GE’s latest high efficiency 9HA Gas Turbine with Toshiba’s most advanced steam turbine. Toshiba will be the prime contractor for the project.

The gas turbine combined-cycle system ordered by HEPCO is expected to achieve a thermal efficiency of 62%, the world’s highest, at the lower heating value. The plant will have an output capacity of 569.4MW, and construction is expected to start in October 2015.

Toshiba and GE are drawing on their respective records of excellent reliability, high level technical competence and a comprehensive service network in an alliance to promote joint marketing of combined-cycle systems that offer the world’s highest level of thermal energy efficiency.

Toshiba and GE have cooperated in gas turbine combined-cycle power generation systems since 1982. In May 1996, the companies established Toshiba-GE Turbine Services Co., Ltd. (TGTS) to provide maintenance services in Japan for high pressure components for gas turbines. In October 2011, they established an alliance to promote sales of the world’s most efficient 50HZ systems in Japan and Asia, and in September 2012 this was expanded to include 60Hz systems.

In October 2013, Toshiba and GE signed a strategic alliance agreement to reinforce marketing capabilities globally, based on a January 2013 memorandum of understanding. Under the agreement, Toshiba and GE will jointly work on product planning and promotion, strengthening product reliability and quality, and developing next-generation combined-cycle systems offering even higher levels of thermal efficiency.

The order from HEPCO is the first received since establishment of the strategic alliance with GE. Through the alliance, Toshiba and GE will further strengthen cooperation, and expect to develop highly efficient and environmentally friendly low-NOx and CO2 emission combined-cycle thermal power generation systems and plan to expand their thermal power generation business globally.