Competition among gas turbine makers heated up this September as Alstom unveiled its upgraded GT24 gas turbine and corresponding 60 Hz KA24 combined cycle power plant, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) introduced the M701F5 gas turbine—a 50 Hz F-class gas turbine upgrade.
An Upgraded GT24
Alstom’s upgraded product launches came on the heels of its upgraded GT26 gas turbine and corresponding KA26 combined cycle power plant for the 50 Hz electricity markets in June. The French company introduced the original GT24 gas turbine 15 years ago, and even in the early days it was recognized for “exceptional operational flexibility, high part-load efficiency, and fast start-up capabilities,” Alstom says in a technical paper. “From the very beginning this gas turbine technology incorporated features such as multiple variable compressor guide vanes and sequential combustion, which set a new industry standard regarding operational flexibility.”
The upgraded turbines were designed around a heightened need for high operational flexibility, a trend that is expected to continue. “While demand will continue to vary greatly, the growing portion of renewable sources of electricity production are expected to require combined cycle plants to be more and more used to levelize the overall production of electricity in many power markets,” the technical paper says.
Just five years ago, combined-cycle power plant specification requirements focused on the highest baseload efficiency based on about 8,000 operating hours per year and the lowest specific sales price. Today’s combined cycle power plant must be based on the highest overall weighted efficiency based on expected operating hours and load regime, and the lowest cost of electricity based on both baseload and part-load profiles.
The next-generation GT24 is capable of delivering 230 MW at 40% efficiency (with a heat rate of 8,571 Btu/kWh), the company claims. The KA24 combined cycle plant can achieve 700 MW output in a 2 x 1 configuration, and when fully optimized, it achieves more than 60% gross efficiency. The plant also features a spinning reserve for delivering more than an additional 450 MW in 10 minutes in low-load to baseload settings. The full upgrade package has been implemented in the grid-connected GT26 Test Power Plant in Birr, Switzerland (Figure 1). Alstom plans to manufacture key plant components of the upgraded gas turbine at its factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.
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| 1. A notch above. Alstom in September launched an upgraded GT24 gas turbine and corresponding KA24 combined cycle power plant for 60 Hz electricity markets. The turbine was tested at Alstom’s grid-connected GT26 Test Power Plant in Birr, Switzerland. Courtesy: Alstom |
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