A continued commitment

The upgrade is expected to be completed in Baden, Switzerland and shipped to Chiba, Japan, for installation in 1Q 2021 and is expected to be operational by mid-2Q 2021. Introduced in 2019, the upgrade provides a significant leap forward in efficiency, output, and reliability. It is powered partly through advanced technology from GE’s flagship HA gas turbine, with additive manufactured parts and innovations in aerodynamics, material science and combustion dynamics. It embeds technology breakthroughs across every major component of the GT26 frame—turbine, compressor, and combustor—to take turbine performance to a new level, significantly decreasing fuel costs while increasing full-load output and enhancing reliability.

Two years ago, GE supported the modernization of JFE’s GT26 gas turbine in Chiba, implementing the MXL2 gas turbine upgrade, effectively increasing the output of the turbine by up to 60 MW. This year, JFE decided to implement GE’s latest GT26 HE technology to continue to improve Chiba power plant’s efficiency and reach new levels of performance and profitability—including an increase in output and efficiency at varying loads. In addition, Chiba power plant’s reliability will be enhanced, while the plant output is expected to increase by more than 10 MW, with efficiency increasing by more than 1%.