An advanced technology upgrade of two GE gas turbines at a Progress Energy power plant in the Smith Energy Complex will help the site continue meeting growing energy demands through increased output, greater efficiency and lower emissions.

GE will upgrade two GE Frame 7FA Gas Turbines, which have been operating on natural gas since 2002, with compressor and combustion system enhancements as well as GE's new Advanced Gas Path to improve the site's output by 16 megawatts and fuel efficiency by more than 1 percent. GE expects the upgrades to extend the plant's parts life and increase the time between scheduled outages. GE's new Advanced Gas Path solution for the 7FA expands gas turbine output and heat rate performance through both material and design innovations.

More than 750 GE Frame 7FA Gas Turbines are in operation worldwide and have been proven in more than 25 million hours of service. The 7FA fleet accounts for 15 percent of North America's installed electrical capacity.

'This project has been a close collaboration between Progress Energy and GE to identify a solution that will deliver higher levels of performance to the Richmond County site without sacrificing operational flexibility or reliability,' said James A. Kaveney, general manager of GE Energy's Power Generation Services Americas group.

Tags: GE Energy