OREANDA-NEWS. GE (NYSE: GE) has received an order for three 6F.01 gas turbines from Nanjing Turbine & Electric Machinery Group Co. (NTC), GE's local partner in Jiangsu province, China. The order clears the way for construction on the new Huaneng Power Inc. (HPI) Guilin World Resort Distributed Power Project in Guangxi province.

The Guilin project draws on GE's high-efficiency leadership to meet the region's expanding energy needs and is expected to generate the equivalent power needed to supply approximately 175,000 homes for a year. The project also supports the local government's energy policy: The 6F.01 offers reduced emissions compared to the coal-fired power plants currently providing power in the region.

The agreement milestones include:

The first order for GE's revamped 6F.01 gas turbine. Originally introduced as the 6C in Turkey in 2004, the renamed 6F.01 fleet has more than 110,000 hours operating experience in the mid-size, high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) space. Through system level enhancements and improved cooling and sealing technologies, the 6F.01 now provides 10 percent higher output and 5 percent better heat rate, resulting in the highest efficiency in combined-cycle, nearly 56 percent, and cogeneration, over 80 percent, of any gas turbine below 100 megawatts (MW).

HPI's first gas turbine project in Guangxi province and its first distributed power project. In CHP mode, the three high-efficiency 6F.01 gas turbines have the capacity to supply a combined total of more than 175 MW of power and over 116 thermal MW of heat to the region, one of China's most popular sightseeing areas.

"NTC has partnered with GE for more than 30 years on many projects, and we are very pleased by GE's quick response to meet the market demand," says Mr. Fang Zhao Hong, Guilin project director, NTC. "The 6F.01 is the right size and right choice for Guilin, providing the much needed benefits of higher efficiency and lower emissions."

As GE's local partner, NTC will supply additional equipment for the plant and work with GE on an accelerated timeline for construction and the start of commercial operation.

"By using GE's FastWorks process, we were able to accelerate the commercialization and fulfillment of the 6F.01 to meet HPI's timeline," said Yang Dan, business leader-Power Generation China at GE Power & Water. "We're honored to have been selected for this low-emission, high-efficiency power plant and look forward to continuing our longstanding partnerships with HPI and NTC."