GE says it has secured an order to provide power generation equipment for a 1,200 megawatts (MW) Pulau Indah power plant in Selangor.

The contract was awarded by a consortium of Posco Engineering & Construction Co Ltd, Mitsubishi Corp and PEC Powercon Sdn Bhd.

In a statement today, GE said the plant will be powered by the group's highly efficient HA technology and will consist of a two-block combined cycle power plant, featuring a total plant configuration that is modular and cost-effective to install, control and maintain.

Additionally, for the Pulau Indah power plant project, GE will provide a full spectrum of services solutions for 21 years.

GE will provide two blocks of 600MW, each including a GE 9HA.01 gas turbine, an STF-D650 steam turbine, a W88 generator and a Once Through Heat Recovery Steam Generator (OT HRSG) for the Pulau Indah power plant.

GE said its OT HRSG technology is a key enabler in advanced water-steam cycles delivering higher combined cycle efficiency, while GE's 9HA is the company's flagship and most efficient 50Hz gas turbine.

The natural gas fired Pulau Indah power plant is targeted to achieve commercial operations in 2024.

GE Gas Power Asia president and chief executive officer Ramesh Singaram said the 9HA gas turbine at its core was engineered from ground up to be extremely efficient and flexible to help keep emissions low.

"This includes high ramp rates and fast start up times to meet fluctuating demand, and the capability to burn up to 50 per cent by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas.

"We see continued efficiency gains in the years to come," he said.

Pulau Indah Power Plant Sdn Bhd executive director Norazlina Zakaria said Malaysia, in particularly the state of Selangor, has seen massive economic development, urbanisation and population growth in the last three decades, which have been major drivers for its increasing demand for energy, although accompanied with increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

"It was crucial for us to select a highly efficient technology, like GE's 9HA.01, to help reduce the amount of fuel used to generate electricity, and working with GE to provide services and cost-effective performance improvements on the power generation equipment will help us achieve our goals," she said.

In its effort to reduce greenhouse gases under the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) Plan, Malaysia seeks to achieve 45 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions reduction target by 2030 across key industries including power generation.

Given the challenge of growing economies to reduce emissions, availability of viable lower carbon technology has become a critical focus.

Under the plan, improving electricity generation efficiency in thermal power plants supports the country's emission reduction goals.

This article is reproduced at www.nst.com.my