Energy Efficiency, Industrial, Utilities  -  April 21, 2016

PSEG Power teams with GE for a more efficient fleet

Illustrative of the broader transformation underway in the U.S. power sector, independent power producer PSEG Power has outlined plans to deploy a highly efficient, digitally enabled system that will be used in the expansion of one of its power plants. 

The Public Service Enterprise Group subsidiary will use a 7HA.02 gas turbine engineered equipment package from GE for its Bridgeport Harbor Generating Station expansion in Bridgeport, Conn., the companies said in a joint April 21 news release. The package includes a gas turbine, a steam turbine, associated generators and a former Alstom-engineered heat recovery steam generator that is now part of the GE portfolio.

The expansion of the existing Bridgeport Harbor facility will clear the way to retire an existing coal-fired unit in operation for nearly 50 years, PSEG said. The unit is the last coal-fired plant in Connecticut; its retirement will help the state meet requirements expected under the federal government’s proposed Clean Power Plan.

Additionally, as part of its efforts to digitize its fleet, PSEG said it has connected five plants — with plans to connect others (both GE and other original equipment manufacturers) — to its monitoring and diagnostic center.  PSEG partnered with GE to deploy asset-performance management tools to improve predictive analytics and its ability to manage its fleet across generating capabilities.

PSEG’s plants account for more than 6 GW of electricity and are an example of the growing trend of energy companies leveraging the power of GE's "Industrial Internet" to increase efficiency, the companies said. 

"With these advanced technologies from GE, PSEG can provide cleaner, more reliable energy to Connecticut and the region for many years to come,” Rich Lopriore, president of PSEG Fossil, said in a statement. "The environmental benefits of this project are essential, and we’re pleased to have received strong community support.”

At the Bridgeport Harbor facility, the existing coal-fired steam turbine has only run about 800 hours per year due to lower efficiency and higher emissions output. The new 485-MW 7HA.02-based combined-cycle power plant is expected to be one of the most efficient facilities in Connecticut, capable of running nearly 8,000 hours per year with lower emissions while providing the equivalent power needed to supply nearly 500,000 U.S. households. The new plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2019.

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