GE Announces Second Order for Its New GT26 HE Solution to Boost Efficiency at Drax’s Shoreham Power Station

GE’s GT26 HE upgrade is expected to increase combined-cycle efficiency by about 2.5% and add 44 megawatts of power at baseload at Drax’s Shoreham Power Station
GE to implement gas turbine upgrade in 2021
Upgrade unleashes full performance of the GT26 platform through advanced technology from GE’s H-Class, F-Class and additive manufacturing
GE’s hardware and digital solutions will help improve performance and help Drax make smarter operational decisions at Shoreham Power Station

BADEN, SWITZERLAND—September 24, 2019—Furthering its commitment to keep mature gas turbine fleets competitive in today’s ever-changing energy marketplace, GE (NYSE: GE) today announced a second order for its GT26 HE (high efficiency) gas turbine upgrade with Drax, for Shoreham power station near Brighton, U.K. GE announced its first order with Uniper earlier this year. GE will also provide digital solutions and plant improvement services to help Drax increase the plant’s flexibility and ultimately increase its competitiveness in the United Kingdom.

Andy Koss, CEO Generation at Drax said: “GE’s GT26 HE gas turbine upgrade could provide a significant efficiency increase, more flexibility and greater power output from Shoreham Power Station. These are critical attributes, which complement the roll out of renewables in the U.K. and can help to ensure a stable power supply whatever the weather. In addition, our fleet would reap the benefits of GE’s digital solutions to help us react more quickly to marketplace conditions while reducing our operating costs and improving the plant’s carbon footprint.”

GE will perform an enablement inspection in 2019 to allow operation through 2021, which is when the new HE will be implemented on the gas turbine. The upgrade would increase combined-cycle efficiency by about 2.5% and add more than 40 megawatts of power at baseload.

“Our new HE product is the most advanced solution we’ve ever introduced on a GT26 gas turbine, and it provides significant performance improvements for an F-class combined-cycle gas turbine upgrade,” said Amit Kulkarni, General Manager of H/F-Class turbines for GE’s Power Services business. “Not only will this upgrade help Drax improve its efficiency and output, but it will also improve its competitive position in the U.K. energy marketplace. The power increase will be rewarded in the event of a successful bid in the U.K.’s capacity auction, and the lifetime improvement will reduce maintenance costs.”

The GT26 HE upgrade, introduced earlier this year, provides a leap forward in efficiency, output and maintenance interval extensions. It’s powered partly through advanced technology from GE’s flagship HA gas turbine, the largest and most efficient in the industry, with additive manufactured parts and innovations in aerodynamics, material science and combustion dynamics. It embeds technology breakthroughs across every major component of the GT26 frame—turbine, compressor and combustor—to take turbine performance to a new level, significantly decreasing fuel costs while increasing full-load output and extending maintenance intervals.

In addition, GE will implement digital solutions to help Drax take its first step toward a digital industrial transformation and reinvent how the utility operates its assets. GE’s Asset Performance Management solution is expected to improve Drax’s predictive maintenance capabilities and the availability and reliability of the power station, while GE’s Operations Performance Management software will deliver enterprise data visibility across the power plant, providing a holistic understanding of the operational decisions that can expand capabilities and lower production costs.

About Drax
Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation: Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs. Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

B2B supply: Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses: Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses. Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production: Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) drives the world forward by tackling its biggest challenges. By combining world-class engineering with software and analytics, GE helps the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. For more than 125 years, GE has invented the future of industry, and today it leads new paradigms in additive manufacturing, materials science, and data analytics. GE people are global, diverse and dedicated, operating with the highest integrity and passion to fulfill GE’s mission and deliver for our customers. www.ge.com

About GE Power
GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity industry with the digital power plant, the world’s largest and most efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable, reliable, accessible and sustainable.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gepower.com. Follow GE Power on Twitter @GE_Power and on LinkedIn at GE Power.