GE is celebrating 20 years of powering progress around the world with its innovative LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine. GE announced the global technology milestone at two major power industry events: the Africa Energy Forum in Barcelona, Spain, and the America Public Power Association convention in Nashville, Tenn.
Based on GE’s CF6-80C2® aircraft engine, the LM6000 has achieved more than 26 million operating hours, with more than 1,000 units shipped to customers globally—four times more experience than all other competing gas turbines in its class combined.
“We are extremely proud of the record of achievement that we have compiled with the LM6000,” said Stephanie Mains, vice president, global services and aero products, for GE Power & Water. “The LM6000 success story underscores our commitment to invest in diversified, efficient, reliable products and services that enhance customer operability and availability while addressing global energy concerns.”
The GE LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine family employs proven, advanced emissions technology, package flexibility and diverse fuel capabilities that enable it to serve a broad spectrum of energy users. The LM6000 offers 40 to more than 50 megawatts of power with up to 42 percent efficiency and 99 percent reliability in a flexible, compact package design for utility, industrial and oil and gas applications. With fast ramp rates, demonstrated 5-minute fast starts, cycling and load-following capability, high efficiency and modular maintenance, the LM6000 has been one of the top selling gas turbines in its class for the last 10 years.
Since its commercial introduction, the LM6000 engine and package design has continued to increase its capacity to meet a wide range of customer needs through technology developments like 15 parts per million Dry Low NOx combustion, spray intercooling for power enhancement, fiber optic distributed controls and off-gas/liquid fuel flexibility including the world’s first sugarcane-based, ethanol-fired power plants operating today in Brazil.
GE introduced the latest enhancements of its proven LM6000 product line in June of 2008 and September of 2011, launching the FlexAero LM6000-PG with a single annual combustor and its dry low emissions equivalent, the FlexAero LM6000-PH. The enhancements include increased power and exhaust energy in the same size gas turbine, with the FlexAero LM6000-PH offering emissions control with no water usage – an annual savings of 26 million gallons of water per machine.
The LM6000 gas turbine is part of GE’s ecomagination portfolio. Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to provide innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and make the world work better. To qualify for the ecomagination portfolio, products and services must demonstrate both improved economic value and environmental performance.
GE’s aeroderivative gas turbine technology is part of the company’s portfolio of innovative distributed power solutions, designed to give businesses and communities around the world the ability to generate more reliable and efficient power using a variety of fuels in diverse locations on or off the grid. GE’s distributed power portfolio includes Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines and Clean Cycle waste heat recovery solutions.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power; Nuclear Energy; Power Generation Services; Renewable Energy; Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.