HA gas turbines support the coal-to-gas transition in Ohio

Above: Guernsey power station

Powered by GE’s HA combined cycle equipment, the Guernsey power plant delivers power to the PJM energy market, which co-ordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia.

In a recent paper, Energy transition in PJM: resource retirements, replacements & risks, PJM reported that coal fired generation retirements might outpace new entries, and, at the same time, load will increase, creating concerns over resource adequacy and grid stability in the region.

“In 2022, coal-fired plant retirements accounted for approximately 89% of retired capacity in the PJM region and as more and more coal fired plants are retired, the need for thermal resources and the essential reliable and flexible power they provide is crucial for grid stability and to help meet the increasing demand for power,” said Ross D. Ain, president of Caithness Energy. “Flexibility may be considered as the key feature of Guernsey plant, powered by three GE 7HA.02 gas turbines in single shaft combined cycle configurations, the largest of this kind in the United States.”

The plant’s three 7HA.02 gas turbines power three W84 generators, three STF-A650 steam turbines and three GE triple-pressure-with-reheat heat recovery steam generators.

GE will service the facility for 20 years under a multi-year services agreement and provide cloud-based predictive analytics through GE Digital’s Asset Performance Management Reliability (APM Reliability) software powered by SmartSignal. APM Reliability “will help predict potential asset failures and reduce unplanned downtime, while improving power plant productivity and reliability,” says GE.

“Gas power plays a crucial role in the energy transition, helping to balance the variable nature of renewables and ensuring system reliability,” said Dave Ross, CEO of GE Gas Power, Americas. “Our 7HA.02 gas turbines, which can burn up to 20% hydrogen with plans to transition to 100% hydrogen over the next decade, are a highly efficient energy solution to help power plant operators, like Caithness Energy, to advance their carbon emissions reduction goals.”

The 7HA’s enhanced fuel flexibility enables it to accommodate a wide range of gaseous fuels (shale gas, high ethane, hydrogen) and liquid fuels (#2 diesel, crude oils). The 7HA gas turbine ramps up to full load in 10 minutes, says GE, and “features a novel configuration that supports simplified installation and maintenance.”