High Efficiency Gas Turbines
The latest in gas turbine technology has been installed at Kwinana Power Station adding 200MW of high efficiency gas turbine plant (HEGTs) to Verve Energy’s portfolio.
The plant comprises two 100MW open-cycle gas turbines. General Electric supplied the LMS100 turbines and UGL installed and commissioned them.
The $300 million HEGTs, of which the State Government funded $263 million, will help maintain a secure supply of electricity and meet demand for power in WA.
Energy Minister Peter Collier officially opened the HEGTs on 27 June, 2012.
The machines, derivative of the engines on large passenger aircraft, combine excellent efficiency and extremely flexible operating capabilities. In particular their fast-start capability (10 minutes to full load) is perfect for the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) and Verve Energy’s system balancing obligations, particularly in supporting wind power in the system.
Their efficiency will be up to 43% at full-load. This compares to other open-cycle gas turbines in Verve Energy’s current portfolio (such as those at Pinjar) which record efficiencies of 38% at full-load.
The HEGTs improve Verve Energy’s overall plant efficiency by making better use of fuel. The units also reduce emissions and lower the carbon intensity of our generation portfolio.
The HEGTs were built on the site of two 35-year-old gas-fired generating units, Stage B, which were demolished in 2011. Gas freed up by the shutdown of Stage B is being used by the new HEGTs.
Importantly, in the interests of energy security, the HEGTs can also burn distillate.
The HEGT features include:
- Flexibility to provide power at part-load as efficiently as most gas turbines at full load
- Flexibility to provide full load operation in less than 10 minutes
- Sustained hot day performance
- No maintenance penalty for multiple stop-start cycles per day
- Environmental benefits from reduced carbon emissions as the result of improved efficiency
- Improve Verve Energy’s overall plant efficiency, making better use of an increasingly expensive fuel source and lowering the carbon intensity of the generation portfolio.
