Pioneering GE Turbine Starts up in Malaysia
Malaysian Southern Power Generation said February 24 its Track 4A Power Plant, a 1.44-GW combined-cycle power plant (CCGT) in Johore State, has entered operation. It was built jointly with Taiwanese CTCI and is fitted with a new turbine built by US engineers GE (see banner picture, courtesy GE).
It is the first pair of 9HA.02 turbines in commercial operation. In addition, under the terms of a 21-year agreement, GE will provide services and digital solutions to improve asset visibility, reliability and availability for the plant, which will produce enough electricity to run 3mn homes.
The plant also includes a STF-D650 steam turbine, driving a W88 generator and, for the first time installed in an H-Class plant, a GE heat recovery steam generator delivering higher efficiency.
Data collected from sensors throughout the facility will be monitored and analysed round the clock at GE's diagnostics centre in Kuala Lumpur.
"We have a longstanding relationship with GE and we trust its HA technology will help us meet the increasing power demand and contribute to long-term energy security needs in Malaysia," said SPG.
The two companies' joint success also paved the way to a multi-billion dollar engineering contract for five CCGTs in Taiwan last September, CTCI said.
GE's second-generation H-class fleet has clocked up more than 850,000 operating hours of commercial experience. To further cut CO2 emissions, GE's H-Class gas turbine portfolio can run on a 50-50 hydrogen/methane blend.