Mention of the Mitsubishi plant out at the megasite often prompts the same question: What is it they make out there again?
The answer is industrial gas turbines, which leaves many scratching their heads or shrugging their shoulders. The confusion first has to do with the fact that a brand they associate with cars isn’t making cars; then there’s bewilderment over what an industrial gas turbine is.
The concept is simple: An industrial gas turbine is a machine fueled by gas that generates energy. It’s the same concept as your car engine; only these turbines use clean, natural gas and produce electricity instead of petroleum to turn the wheels of your auto.
Makes sense, right? Kind of. So where are these things used or could they be used?
I found a good answer in Friday’s USA Today. The featured story on the Money page of the weekend edition was about the shale boom. As many of you know, scientists have discovered large shale deposits in areas across the country. One of the largest deposits is centered in Pennsylvania and covers parts of five states.
Shale contains pockets of natural gas and – to a lesser extent -- oil. Energy companies have figured out how to extract this by using a method that fractures the deposits and releases the gas and oil.
The USA Today story cites a Virginia-based company called Moxie Energy that plans to build two $800 million gas-fired power plants in Pennsylvania. Each plant would supply electricity for 8,000 homes each. The story says the turbines for these plans would be built in either South Carolina or Georgia.
GE is the manufacturer in South Carolina. The company has operated a large plant in Greenville since 1968.
The manufacturer in Georgia? You guessed it, Mitsubishi.
To many, the industrial gas turbine is the future of energy. Natural gas is seen as the replacement for coal, which is the most widely used source of generating electricity and comes with environmental concerns, both in terms of how it is mined and the emissions it gives off when burned (although the clean coal concept has minimized the latter).
The fact that natural gas is in such plentiful supply, and therefore inexpensive, also indicates its potential to crowd out coal.
So that’s why it’s so exciting that Mitsubishi chose Savannah for its plant. And they have plenty of room out there to expand as the demand for natural gas turbines grows.