BADEN, SWITZERLAND —March 7, 2019—With the impact of renewables in the electricity mix, today’s power generation fleet is expected to run differently than it was originally planned. GE (NYSE: GE) today announced Italian utility A2A Group (A2A) is continuing to modernize its power assets, deploying GE’s services, hardware and software solutions at four of its facilities in Piemonte, Lombardia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. GE’s solutions will help A2A increase the flexibility, efficiency and reliability of its Chivasso, Sermide, Cassano and Monfalcone power plants, which generate approximately a combined 3.42 megawatts (MW) of power—equal to power approximately 1.1 million Italian homes.
“We are continuing to digitize our power plants to both modernize the facilities and improve their efficiency,” said Valerio Camerano, CEO of the A2A Group. “These initiatives are putting us on a path that will help us make the four plants more flexible to quickly adapt to market conditions, while also improving the ecological footprint and reducing operating costs”.
A2A first installed GE’s Operations Performance Management (OPM) software at the Chivasso power plant after the facility was reopened in November 2015. The digital solutions, part of GE’s Digital Energy portfolio, helped make Chivasso competitive again in the ancillary service segment while GE’s hardware increased the flexibility of the plant by achieving a 65-MW per gas turbine minimum load level—currently the best in GE’s 9FA fleet—and enabling load ramping at up to 50 MW per minute or two-and-a-half times the normal rate.
“We are pleased to collaborate with A2A and continue to deploy GE’s technologies at its power plants across Italy,” said Michael Rechsteiner, CEO of GE’s Power Services business in Europe. “By extending the use of our Fleet360* platform of total plant solutions to provide a full spectrum of digital solutions and plant improvement services, regardless of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), we are helping A2A increase the flexibility of its plants, and ultimately increase their competitiveness in Italy”.
Phase two, built on the success of the initial efforts, extends the implementation of GE’s digital solutions to three more plants in Northern Italy and includes multiyear service agreements, balance of plant services and hardware upgrades to help significantly reduce startup times.
GE and A2A will modernize four power plants:
GE’s relationship with the Chivasso power plant dates back more than six decades, beginning with the installation of GE’s first steam turbine in Italy in 1952. GE has upgraded a total of six 9FA gas turbines at A2A’s Chivasso, Sermide and Cassano power plants by installing its digital solutions—helping to reduce plant downtime and interruptions in production while increasing plant responsiveness to meet fast-changing grid demands. For the past 15 years, GE has maintained and serviced the utility’s gas turbines to provide cost-effective performance improvements.
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GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity industry with the digital power plant, the world’s largest and most efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable, reliable, accessible and sustainable. For more information, visit the company's website at www.gepower.com. Follow GE Power on Twitter @GE_Power and on LinkedIn at GE Power.
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