GE Vernova Seals Deal for 1.7-GW Combined Cycle Plant in China
GE Vernova’s Gas Power business and Harbin Electric announced that Chinese State Development & Investment Corp. Ltd. (SDIC) Jineng (Zhoushan) Gas Power Generation Co. Ltd. has ordered two GE 9HA.02 gas turbines for a new combined cycle power plant located in the Zhoushan archipelago in Zhejiang province, China.
The plant (Figure 1) is expected to deliver nearly 1.7 GW of electricity to power demand for China’s largest archipelago—comprised of 1,390 islands. The first unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation by the end of 2025 and it is expected to burn up to 10% by volume of green hydrogen blended with natural gas in the future. The project is the first H-class gas-fired power generation project in Zhejiang province.
Zhoushan has been positioned as a pivotal hub for the maritime economic development of east China’s Zhejiang province in accordance with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. This is the first time Zhejiang has clearly designated Zhoushan as “marine central cities” in the province. According to the guideline, Zhejiang will construct two marine industrial clusters during the period (2021–2025). The clusters are expected to benefit from the development of “a green hydrogen hub,” which is to be stationed in the archipelago.
“GE Vernova and Harbin Electric will provide us with the highest standard of quality and reliability for our Zhoushan power plant with GE’s latest and most advanced gas turbine technology driving the way for reliable, affordable, and lower-carbon electricity for the area,” Tan Peidong, general manager of SDIC Jineng Gas Power Generation Co. Ltd., said in a statement announcing the deal. “We ordered GE’s H-Class technology for its ability to generate significant electrical output in a flexible and efficient way—crucial for the development of the maritime cluster—while helping to ensure reliability of supply in the over 130 urbanized islands of the archipelago.”
“We applaud SDIC’s commitment and investment in this project,” said Ma Jun, general manager of Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Sales of GE Gas Power China. “GE is honored to supply SDIC with our most advanced 9HA gas turbines as part of our long-term strategic cooperation with Harbin Electric. The 9HA.02 DLN2.6e [Dry Low NOx] combustion system is designed to operate on up to 50% hydrogen by volume, well above the plant’s initial goal to operate on up to 10% hydrogen, offering a future pathway to SDIC for even lower carbon emitting operations in the future.”
GE Vernova said it has secured five projects powered by 10 GE H-class gas turbines in China’s mainland, which are expected to provide an installed capacity of more than 8 GW when fully in operation. GE has announced orders including three 9HA.02 gas turbines for the Guangdong Energy Group Co. Ltd.’s Dongguan Ningzhou power plant, two 9HA.01 gas turbines for Guangdong Huizhou power plant expected to burn up to 10% by volume of hydrogen blended with natural gas upon start of operation, and three 9HA.01 gas turbines for Shenzhen Energy Group Corporation’s Guangming power plant. In addition, GE Vernova provided the equipment to support the coal-to-gas transition of China Huadian Tianjin Junliangcheng Power Generation Co. Ltd.’s Junliangcheng power plant, which has been in operation since 2021 and was POWER’s Reinvention Award winner that year.
GE says the 9HA’s DLN2.6e combustion system “offers a step change in performance, emissions, and fuel flexibility.” The DLN2.6e maintains many of the elements of GE’s DLN2.6+ combustion system and introduces advanced premixing for reduced NOx emissions while enabling high plant efficiency. “Its advanced premixer enables expanded fuel flexibility to operate on both ‘rich’ and ‘lean’ gaseous fuels, a 50% hydrogen (H2) capability with a technology pathway to 100%, a gas turbine turndown to 30% load, and an optional park mode at 7–15% load, further reducing customers’ operating costs,” the company says.
In a simple cycle arrangement, the 9HA.02 provides higher net output (571 MW vs. 448 MW) and better efficiency (44.0% vs. 42.9%) than the 9HA.01 gas turbine. In a 2 x 1 combined cycle arrangement, as is planned at the Zhoushan site, the plant produces a net output of 1,680 MW, with a net heat rate of 5,306 Btu/kWh (lower heating value, LHV), which equates to a net efficiency of 64.3%. All ratings quoted here are based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) conditions and natural gas fuel. GE says actual performance will vary with project-specific conditions and fuel.
GE Vernova’s Gas Power business has maintained a longstanding partnership with Harbin Electric, which was the first power equipment enterprise China established in 1949. It has since become the biggest production and export base for power generation equipment in China. The two companies established Qinhuangdao Energy Service Center in 2004, focusing on the maintenance and services of heavy-duty gas turbine hot-gas-path components. In 2017, the companies entered a strategic partnership to build a gas turbine manufacturing joint venture in Qinhuangdao. GE Vernova says it has “long operated with a commitment to a comprehensive localization structure that effectively increases the company’s responsiveness to customer needs and reduces the cost of new units and services.”
The new power plant in Zhoushan is expected to increase the stability and reliability of the local power grid. The units’ ability to turn on or off quickly is also expected to improve the regional energy structure and support the growth of renewables.
—Aaron Larson is POWER’s executive editor (@POWERmagazine).