GE Vernova introduced the LM6000VELOX package in 2023, aiming to reduce the installation and commissioning schedule of LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines by up to 40%, thereby achieving lower costs. The enhancements incorporated in the new package aim to also reduce site construction delays for power generation utilities, EPC contractors, and other industry stakeholders, says GE Vernova.
The first LM6000VELOX package to go into commercial operation was that at Dominion Energy’s Bushy Park Combustion Turbine (Bushy Park CT) facility in Berkeley County, South Carolina, USA. This 52 MW unit, Bushy Park CT #1, achieved start of commercial operation on 1 November 2024. The rating is based on baseload with natural gas fuel at ISO conditions.
The Bushy Park LM6000VELOX, along with two other units ordered for Dominion Energy’s Parr facility in Fairfield County, South Carolina, which are currently under construction, replace older peaking units. In addition to supporting Dominion during peak usage periods, these fully dispatchable units can complement solar generation on days when sunshine is limited or intermittent throughout the day.
The Bushy Park and future Parr units incorporate an array of operational flexibility capabilities including dual-fuel capabilities, fast-starting, synchronous condensing, and black start. GE Vernova’s scope of supply included selective catalytic reduction and oxidation catalyst systems, which, coupled with dry low NOx combustion, “enable best-in-class air emissions performance without the need for water injection.”
“This aeroderivative solution can provide dispatchable and lower-carbon-emitting power compared to older units, and also important black-start capability necessary for restoring power after a blackout,” said Dave Ross, President and CEO for GE Vernova’s Gas Power business in the Americas.
With over 40 million operating hours and more than 1300 units shipped, GE Vernova describes the LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine as “a leader in the +40 MW space.”
In addition to the two LM6000VELOX packages currently being installed at Dominion Energy’s Parr facility, there are ten LM6000VELOX packages being installed at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Johnsonville aeroderivative power plant, with an expected start of operation in 2025. Recently, GE Vernova also announced that an LM6000VELOX package is expected to start operation on 100% hydrogen at the Whyalla hydrogen power plant in Australia in 2026.
