Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has shipped the first unit for commercial use of its M501J – a gas turbine that the company says has achieved the world's highest efficiency and power generation capacity in a system of this type - from its Takasago Machinery Works in Takasago, Hyogo, to the Himeji unit 2 power station of Kansai Electric Power Co also located in Hyogo prefecture. The M501J is MHI's most advanced gas turbine, having achieved the world's highest turbine inlet temperature of 1600 deg C. The first unit and five additional M501J gas turbines to be delivered later will become the core components of the high-efficiency, natural gas-fired gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation plants at Himeji 2, each producing 486.5 MW for a collective total of 2919 MW.
Himeji 2 is one of Kansai EP's largest thermal power stations. Since operation of the first power generation unit began in 1963, it has consistently played a key role as Kansai EP's major power supply source. Currently it is undergoing replacement of its aged power generation facilities, and installation of the M501J gas turbines is part of this initiative. The six units are slated to go on-stream progressively between October 2013 and October 2015. MHI will undertake installation work together with Kansai EP..
The 60 Hz M501J shipped was developed in the spring of 2009. It is able to withstand a temperature 100 degrees higher than the 1500°C-class G-Series gas turbines, which featured the highest temperature available until then. The 1600°C-class J-Series gas turbine has achieved a rated power output near 320 MW (ISO basis) and 460 MW in GTCC power generation applications. MHI has also confirmed a gross thermal efficiency exceeding 60% - the world's highest level in GTCC applications. The plant should be able to achieve CO2 emissions approximately 50% lower than with conventional coal-fired power generation (the comparison is with MHI's own power plants).
Linkedin
