GE will partner with electric utility Tampa Electric (TECO), an Emera company, to modernize Big Bend Power Station in Hillsborough County, Florida. The modernized Big Bend Power Station will help TECO produce electricity in an amount equivalent to the needs of more than 750,000 Florida households using two of GE’s industry-leading 7HA gas turbines and a comprehensive upgrade for the steam turbine island.
Independent power producer Chiahui Corporation will use the HA, as part of a full turnkey power expansion project at Chiahui Power Plant in Chiayi Province, Taiwan. GE’s 7HA.02 gas turbine will be part of the expansion to increase the plant’s generation potential, and it will be the third HA gas turbine in Taiwan, enhancing the country’s ability to generate flexible, reliable and affordable electricity from natural gas.
GE’s customers have also announced major operational milestones for several HA-powered facilities around the world, including Invenergy’s Lackawanna Energy Center in Jessup, Pennsylvania, United States, and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)’s Unit 1 at Power Station 5 in Bahrain. Both customers have achieved first fire status for the HA units —a significant milestone for plants preparing to become commercially operational and provide electricity to the grid.
In addition, GE shared that its fleet of more than 30 HA gas turbines commercially operating around the world has surpassed 220,000 operating hours, and has added 19 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity worldwide.
