Central Dock Sud SA, a company with participation by Enel Argentina SA, Awards Contract to GE for First GT26 HE Upgrade in Latin America

GE (NYSE: GE) today announced a new order for its GT26 HE, the first High Efficiency (HE) upgrade for the GT26 fleet to be selected in Latin America, aiming to deliver increased output and efficiency at Central Dock Sud plant, participated by Enel Argentina SA. With the completion of two HE upgrades by the end of 2022, the plant located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is expected to boost efficiency and inject over 100 MW into the grid in addition to its current 755 megawatts (MW) capacity. The modernization will reset the clock of the plant and extend its lifetime by approximately another 15-20 years.

“GE’s GT26 HE upgrade blends cutting-edge technology from GE’s industry-leading F and H class fleets and it will help us produce more power, while reducing CO2 emissions per MW” said Juan José Marcet, General Manager, Central Dock Sud. “Thanks to this significant power increase we will fully decommission our high-fogging system, leading to substantial cost savings.  In addition, we will benefit from the HE’s dual fuel capability, allowing us to burn diesel backup fuel in winter in case of a natural gas shortage.”

The significant performance improvement that the HE solution delivers is attributable to technology breakthroughs across every major component of the GT26 frame - turbine, compressor and combustor, that will help achieve H-class performance levels. In addition, the upgrade is engineered to integrate all components within the unit’s existing footprint for a far more cost-effective alternative to the installation of an equivalent class new unit.

 “With the world shifting towards a lower carbon future, improving energy efficiency while increasing power output from installed power plants is a key way to generate more energy per unit of fuel with lower carbon emissions.” said Amit Kulkarni, Head of Product Management for Heavy Duty gas turbines, GE Gas Power. “GE has invested significantly in the development of this upgrade that will help gas-fired plants to better complement renewables. We are proud to be building on the strength of our long-standing relationship with Central Dock Sud, to provide GE’s most advanced technology to help revitalize the Central Dock Sud power station”.

During the upgrade installation, both gas and steam turbine rotors will be replaced, as well as combustor casings and structural parts. Upgrades to the generator, steam turbine and Balance of Plant complement the scope to enable the plant to cope with the additional extended maintenance intervals (from 24’000 to 32’000 operating hours) and to significantly extend its lifetime by approximately another 15-20 years. In addition, the availability of the plant, commercially in operation since 2001, will be supported by the continuity of the services agreements built on over 20 years of collaboration with Central Dock Sud.

The first implementation of GT26 HE upgrade, completed at Uniper’s Enfield Power Station in northern London, has shown the upgrade exceeded the guaranteed performance values and met all other requirements.  The upgrade delivers a breakthrough technology step, an innovation comparable to the first introduction of GT26 gas turbine in 1998.

Test results proved key performance benefits¹:

Higher efficiency for combined-cycle power plants:

• Up to 2 percent points base load increased efficiency, translating to as much as $4 million in fuel savings annually per unit.
• Up to 1 percent point increased efficiency in part load, yielding up to $1 million in fuel savings a year per unit
• Increased plant output of up to 25 megawatts (MW) per unit
• Extended inspection intervals up to 32,000 hours, reducing long-term maintenance costs.

[1] Indicative values based on rating GT26 2006 configuration:

• 6,500 yearly operating hours
• 4,000 full load hours yearly
• $7/MMBtu fuel price
• $57/MWH electricity price