GE Completes Flange-To-Flange Upgrade
GE has completed a flange-to-flange upgrade of a Frame 6B gas turbine at an industrial recycling paper mill in El Burgo de Ebro (Zaragoza), Spain. Replacing the key components of the gas turbine with new parts has improved the turbine’s operating efficiency and emissions reduction capabilities, as well as extended the life of the plant, GE said.
The project marks the first flange-to-flange replacement for a GE 6B gas turbine, according to GE. The paper mill is owned by S.A. Industrias Celulosa Aragonesa (SAICA), an international company that specializes in the production of corrugated cardboard boxes.
The upgraded Frame 6B at the SAICA cogeneration plant delivers 38 MW of power, which is then sold to the national power grid, and produces steam for use in the paper production process. The project included the installation of GE’s dry low NOx (DLN) combustion technology to reduce NOx emissions from around 150 ppm to less than 15 ppm without steam injection, GE said.
The gas turbine upgrade will allow the SAICA plant to continue to receive the total feed-in tariff from the Spanish government. According to the Spanish legislation, cogeneration plants under 50 MW no longer qualify for the total feed-in tariff after 15 years of operation unless they adopt more efficient and environmentally responsible technologies as specified in the legislation.
For more information: www.ge.com