GE Power Systems and Niigata Engineering have signed a distribution agreement naming GE Power Systems as Niigata’s distributor for its new line of liquid fuel engines for the power generation and industrial markets. The HLX engines, including the 22HLX, 28HLX, and 34HLX are capable of burning heavy fuel oil as well as lighter diesel fuels.

Under the terms of the agreement, GE Power Systems and Niigata will share the global market, with GE as the exclusive distributor for the Americas, Europe, Africa, and parts of the Middle East and Asia. Niigata will be exclusive distributor for Japan, Korea, Iran and Iraq. China and certain other territories will be served by both parties.

GE will have sales, application engineering, system integration, financing, and long-term service and parts responsibility in the above-mentioned territories. Niigata will supply engines to GE.

The first 28HLX and 34HLX engines completed their factory tests in the Ohta and Niigata plants, where they successfully operated under full load and overload tests. Full load testing of the 22HLX should be complete by June 1999.

In addition, GE Power Systems and Jenbacher have signed a distribution agreement naming GE Power Systems as Jenbacher’s distributor for its natural gas engines, gensets and cogeneration systems.

The Jenbacher Series 3 and 6 engines, including the J312, J316, J320, J612, J616 and J620, are capable of burning various gases, such as landfill, as well as natural gas.

Under the terms of the agreement, GE Power Systems will be the exclusive distributor in the Americas for most applications, and will offer Jenbacher products on a non-exclusive basis in other parts of the world. Jenbacher will continue to sell products to the Americas directly for bio-gas applications and for certain CHP plants. GE will provide service and spare parts for these direct sale projects.

The output of the Series 3 and 6 gensets range from 0.5 to 3 MWe. The engines run at 1500 rpm. This series of engines has the highest simple cycle efficiency in the world for natural gas engines of this size.