GE Power said its 9HA.02 gas turbine exceeded 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants. The company attributes at least part of the achievement to advances in additive manufacturing (3-D printing).
It was only 18 months ago that the EDF Bouchain facility—the first 9HA gas turbine to enter commercial operation—received recognition from Guinness World Records as the most-efficient combined cycle power plant in the world with a third-party verified net efficiency of 62.22%. 3D printed blades were a key contributor to efficiecncy by ensuring better fuel-air mixing. The new combustion system has already been successfully tested at full-load and full-speed at GE’s test stand in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 9HA.02 can now be quoted at 64.0% net efficiency in specified conditions with total output of 826 MW in 1 x 1 combined cycle configuration. Customers will be able to order HA-based combined cycle power plants quoted at greater than 64% in 2018, compared to the previously quoted limit of 63.7% efficiency for 2017 orders. Additionally, GE Power said it remains on track to achieve 65% efficiency by the early 2020s.
