GE To Keep EGAT Plants Running

GE’s Power Services business has entered a multiyear parts and repair agreement for more than US$60 million with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to cover the utility’s North Bangkok Combined Cycle Block I and South Bangkok Combined Cycle Block II 9F gas turbines and associated equipment. The six-year agreement is part of GE’s ongoing work to upgrade EGAT’s fleet of four GE 9F gas turbines at the utility’s two power plants.

“Our long-term parts and repair agreement with GE will help us to further increase the reliability and availability of our North Bangkok and South Bangkok power plants to produce vital electricity for the region,” said Soonchai Kumnoonsate, governor, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. “In particular, the project will increase the reliability of EGAT North Bangkok Block I and strengthen public support for the first infrastructure fund covering long-term spare parts with GE as the original equipment manufacturer of the gas turbines.”

GE recently upgraded the gas turbines by installing its Dry Low NOx 2.6+ (DLN2.6+) advanced combustion hardware and OpFlex AutoTune software. The upgrades were designed to improve the turbines’ operational flexibility by allowing them to run reliably on a wider range of natural gas compositions, including gas from both western and eastern Thailand, while reducing site emissions. As a result, EGAT said it helped improve air quality in the capital city of Bangkok by dramatically reducing the power plants’ NOx emissions from 35 parts per million (ppm) to 9 ppm.

GE also is installing its Advanced Gas Path (AGP) solution to increase turbine efficiency, reduce fuel consumption costs and increase the availability of the units by implementing the industry’s longest gas path maintenance intervals.

“GE has been working with EGAT for more than 30 years and has supplied the utility with gas turbines, parts, repairs, upgrades and other services,” said Anders Maltesen, general manager for GE’s Power Services business for the Asia-Pacific region. “We are pleased to sign our latest parts and repair agreement that builds on our successful relationship with EGAT to help ensure the long-term availability and reliability of their 9F gas turbine fleet for a majority of their projected operating lives.”