GE has secured an H-Class gas turbine order from Brazilian natural gas operator Eneva for the new Azulão reserve power plant.
For the new 350MW Azulão power plant located near Manaus, GE will provide a 7HA.02 gas turbine powering an H65 generator.
The aim of the new turbine is to provide additional flexibility to the grid to better manage the growing utilisation of non-dispatchable energy sources, as well as increase efficiency and decrease emissions.
Furthermore, according to GE, the increased power available on the open electricity market could help reduce the average cost of electricity.
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“The use of renewable energy sources is continuously being expanded in many countries around the world, but the grid infrastructure still requires highly efficient gas turbine technology to stabilise and support these variable technologies,” said Eric Gray, president and CEO of GE Gas Power.
“Rapid renewable energy growth presents system operators and energy providers with the increasingly difficult task of continuously ensuring stability of the grid and a reliable power supply. GE’s H-Class gas turbine technology has earned a reputation for flexibility, output, environmental performance and high efficiency that has led to its rapid growth and maturation as a fleet worldwide, and we’re honoured to add a new customer to our HA fleet.”
The construction of the new reserve power plant will start in late 2022 and is expected to be operational by 2026.
The Brazilian Energy Planning Agency’s Energy Expansion Plan (PDE) for 2019-2029 indicates that renewable sources will remain a high priority for the country, targeting 48% of Brazil´s energy matrix by 2029. This plant aligns with that strategy and will aid the growth of intermittent renewable resources such as hydro (without reservoirs), solar and wind.
In Brazil, Eneva owns and operates a 1.9GW generation complex integrated to proprietary gas production. The company is now operating in the Brazilian renewables industry with the recent acquisition of Focus Energia.
