GE sets world record

GE’s Power Services business (NYSE: GE) ( www.GE.com/power) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 6B gas turbine fleet by launching the world’s first 6B repowering solution.

It also announced it has signed its first agreement for the solution with a global chemical company to repower three 6B gas turbines and save significant amounts of fuel each year at its site in Asia.

The announcements mark another example of GE’s continued commitment to investing in its mature fleets to keep them competitive.

In Africa, GE has an installed base of 60 6B gas turbines at various locations with the most recent installation in Cabinda, Angola. The fleet is mainly used for power generation for grid supply as well as for large industrial uses like refineries.

“We’re excited to mark our 40th anniversary of the 6B fleet and unveil our new repowering solution,” said Scott Strazik, President/CEO, GE Power Services. “This fleet is known for its dependability, a reputation earned with global fleet reliability of 98.4 percent, which is about 2 percent higher than the industry average and translates to approximately 17 more days of availability per year. At the same time, the 6B fleet has aged, and there’s growing demand to improve performance. Today’s announcement and our recent expansion of our Advanced Gas Path technology to the 6B fleet highlight our continuing investment in our mature fleets to help power producers and industrial operators remain competitive in today’s very dynamic marketplace.

Also speaking, Elisee Sezan, General Manager, GE’s Power Services business for Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “As a company, we believe that more efficient power plants means more power available on the grid to respond to the growing energy needs of the African continent. As a result, we are always focused on solving our customers’ most complex problems with customized and innovative solutions that help optimize operational performance.”