Helping to decarbonize Alberta—in some wild weather
GE and Maxim Power worked together to install and upgrade a 7F gas turbine in a year-round project that helped support Canada’s coal-to-gas transition.
Overview
Maxim Power’s Milner Power II power plant is currently the largest simple cycle natural gas-fired unit in Alberta, a state which has committed to phasing out coal power by 2030.
The challenge
The Province of Alberta in Canada is in the process of moving away from coal-powered electricity generation, and Maxim Power, one of Canada’s largest independent power producers, turned to GE to provide expert support Milner II, aiming to ensure the success of its decision to re-power the coal facility using natural gas.
The solution
For this project, GE provided relocation support with a DLN2.6+ upgrade and secured a contractual services agreement for the GE 7F.05 gas turbine.
Outcomes
Moving mountains for Maxim Power
208,000
equivalent Canadian households powered by Milner II
reduction in emissions from coal to natural gas
1,000
global field experts for GE’s F-class technology
"
We were faced with the reality of shuttering the facility or re-powering it with natural gas—the cleanest burning fossil fuel, emitting less than half the CO2 of a coal plant, significantly lower nitrous oxides and particulate matter, no mercury, and essentially no sulfur oxides—and we decided to turn to GE to help us transition the facility to natural gas. GE helped us solve our most pressing power generation challenges, such as the upgrade and maintenance of a GE gas turbine that we purchased from a third party and sat in storage, unused, for eight years near a copper mine in the Northern part of the United States. We know that GE has the level of experience needed to deliver reliable and sustainable power under any condition.
Bob Emmott
President and Chief Operating Officer of Maxim Power
The relocation project included the task of moving the massive turbine from the United States to Alberta and the modernization of the existing combustion system with GE’s DLN2.6+ technology to address local fuel gas qualities, improve plant efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint to help meet Canadian and local government specifications and standards.
During transport of the power generation equipment, GE and FieldCore faced enormous challenges presented by record torrential rainfall, extreme cold temperatures reaching -40°F, and the COVID-19 global pandemic. Engineers from GE and FieldCore worked together and in close co-operation with Maxim Power experts to quickly implement an array of safety measures including more frequent disinfections at the site, mandatory face masks, consistent personnel temperature monitoring, and strictly enforced social distancing aiming to ensure employee safety and achieve safe completion of the project.
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