GE has launched its repowering solution for 6B gas turbines, helping to save significant amount of fuel costs annually for customers around the world, the company said in a release.
In India, GE has an installed base of more than 70 6B gas turbines that are currently under operation at various locations. The fleet is majorly used for a wide range of CHP (combined heat and power) needs in industrial setups.
“We are excited to mark our 40th anniversary of the 6B fleet and unveil our new repowering solution. This fleet is known for its dependability—a reputation earned with global fleet reliability of 98.4 per cent, which is about 2 per cent higher than the industry average and translates to approximately 17 more days of availability per year. At the same time, the 6B fleet has aged, and there’s growing demand to improve performance,” said Scott Strazik, President & CEO of GE’s Power Services business.
Part of GE’s Fleet360 platform of total plant services solution, the 6B Repowering Solution incorporates advanced F-Class and H-Class technology to elevate the machine’s performance to industry-leading levels for its class. The repowering consists of a full “flange-to-flange” upgrade of all major components, including the combustion system, hot gas path and compressor, and it transforms the 6B unit into a GE 6F.01 gas turbine, which is also available as a new unit. The upgrade also incorporates a hot end drive with a new exhaust frame and radial diffuser, which is a design scaled from the 6F.01 new unit, the GE release said.
Jamnagar order: In the past, GE had won an order for the ‘Single nozzle Syngas retrofit with water injection’ of nine 6B units installed at world’s largest oil refinery – Reliance Industries Ltd located at Jamnagar in Gujarat. This first-of-its-kind retrofit will help the plant operator to run the gas turbines on syngas, translating into significant fuel cost savings.
Over 1,150 6B turbines: Since its first installation in 1978 at Montana-Dakota Utilities’ Glendive Power Plant in USA, GE’s 6B fleet has accumulated more than 65 million operating hours. GE’s fleet spans more than 1,150 6B turbines across all corners of the world, powering energy production facilities and industrial applications in segments such as petrochemical, oil and gas, exploration and the cement production. Today, over 900 6Bs are still in operation with 55 per cent in continuous operation.