GE supplies gas engines to heat Romanian city

17th April 2015

  

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With the Energy Efficiency Law of Romania and financial incentives for cogeneration driving the country to implement more energy efficiency initiatives, energy services company Bepco showcased the success of four high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) plants at the heart of a district heating system in the city of Brasov, in Romania, last month.

The project represents Romania’s largest gas-engine-based CHP initiative designed to meet a city’s local district heating demands.

The four CHP plants – powered by 11 ecomagination-approved Jenbacher gas-powered engines from US technology multinational General Electric’s (GE’s) distributed power business – are generating 42 MW of power and 38 MW of heat for the city.

Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to technology solutions that save money and reduce environmental impact for its customers and GE’s own operations. The concept was launched in 2005 and has generated more than $160-billion in revenue. GE’s own operations have seen a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2004 and a 45% reduction in freshwater use since 2006, realising $300-million in savings.

“Our CHP projects have overcome one of the major concerns about the efficiency of Brasov’s existing district heating system. With the previous heat production and distribution company in Brasov facing financial trouble, we were able to step in with our gas engine solution from GE, [which enabled] us to implement enhanced heating system efficiency for our customers and to support Romania’s energy efficiency goals,” says Bepco managing partner Simina Costan.

Bepco’s CHP plants, which feature 11 of GE’s Jenbacher Type 6 engines, are part of Romania’s campaign to modernise older, less-efficient municipal and industrial district heating systems to reduce emissions related to energy produc- tion. GE’s gas engines are offering Bepco high-efficiency cogeneration featuring more than 84% total efficiency and a high power-to-heat ratio.

“With the majority of heat production facilities in Romania’s cities currently obsolete and running at low efficiency, our higher-efficiency cogeneration gas engines offer great potential for operators seeking to modernise their district heating systems throughout the country,” says GE Power & Water’s Distributed Power GM Karl Wetzlmayer.

“We are pleased to help Bepco achieve its efficiency goals through this district heating project,” he says.

An additional advantage of a multiple gas-powered engine power plant is the high plant part-load efficiency and availability. Starting from high simple-cycle gas engine efficiency, the efficiency stays high in part-load operation owing to incremental engine shutdown.

Meanwhile, the growth of renewable-power installations and the intermittence of solar and wind power require more operating flexibility from the conventional power generation portfolio, compared with natural gas systems.

By installing GE’s cogeneration technology instead of separate electrical and thermal power-generation equipment, operators receive primary energy savings of roughly 40% through reduced fossil fuel consumption.

GE’s integrated combustion emissions control system helps meet stringent global regulations, resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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