GE boosts servicing of its industry-leading HA gas turbines

GE boosts servicing of its industry-leading HA gas turbines

GE yesterday announced the completion and delivery of the first repaired HA component from the recently opened Advanced Manufacturing & Repair Technology Center (AMRT) in Singapore. The center is co-located in Global Repair Solutions Singapore Center (GRSS), which was established in 2019, with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), to develop next-generation repair capabilities for GE HA gas turbines.

The first delivery of parts out of the center is a significant milestone following GE’s 2019 announcement to invest up to US$60 million over 10 years to make GRSS a world leader in power generation technology development, implementation and repairs. This commitment is designed to strengthen repair capabilities globally—with a specific focus in Asia—where GE has over 90 percent in-region self-sufficiency for repair of heavy-duty gas turbines and a growing installed base.

Launch of AMRT, Repairs capabilities in Asia

“Congratulations to GE on the successful delivery of the AMRT’s first repaired HA component leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies. Tapping on the skilled talent base and robust infrastructure in Singapore, the AMRT Center plays an important role in advancing GE Gas Power’s repair programs,” said Mr. Tan Kong Hwee, Executive Vice President for the Singapore Economic Development Board. “This center will contribute to our ‘Manufacturing 2030’ ambition to be a global business, innovation, and talent hub for advanced manufacturing and a future for more sustainable gas turbine technology”.

This investment allowed the shop to grow from 250 to 350 employees in two years, adding positions for both HA and Aeroderivative Repair Business, with the goal to add further jobs to handle more complex repairs on HA turbines—including repair on high-tech components, such as HA nozzles and blades. Four new lean lines to repair the HA Hot Gas Path (HGP) components were also added to support the global 9HA component repairs demand. By the fall of 2022, GRSS will also be qualified to support the 7HA HGP components repair within the Asia region.

In the expanded site, the new AMRT Center has significantly increased GE’s research and development capabilities by focusing on advanced manufacturing applications, adaptive machining, joining capabilities, and inspection technologies. The AMRT Center is also in the process of establishing hydrogen fluoride ion cleaning capabilities which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

“We’re proud GRSS successfully began repairing HA components this year. As Asia’s population and power demand continues to grow, we realized GE needed to expand our Service Center as well to better support our global HA repair capabilities with a specific focus on the region.” said Jim Vono, President, Services, Asia Pacific and South Asia, GE Gas Power. “The expanded facility is now one of GE's largest gas turbine repair facilities globally with special capability for our HA, in addition to other advanced gas turbine technologies serviced in Singapore. This leap forward for HA gas turbine repairs is vital to owners and operators of our HA turbines who will be able to benefit from more efficient repair lean lines, expecting significant improvement to the lead time and delivery of repairs in supporting their outage needs”.

With 60 percent of the global population, 45 percent of the world’s electricity consumption, and 20 percent of the global installed base, not only is the Asia region the largest in the world, but its gas turbine installed base is also growing rapidly. Currently over one-third of the turbines are located, or are on order, in the region and the Asia’s growth trajectory means the percentage of HA turbines in the region is also expected to grow.

GRSS, as well as other repair shops in Asia, such as PT. GE Nusantara Turbine Services Shop Indonesia, forms part of GE’s extensive network of local repair capabilities for heavy duty and aeroderivative gas turbines in the region to better serve customers and asset reliability as well as provide 24x7 support and quick turnaround. GE’s repair network also demonstrates GE’s commitment to regional innovation, and the growth of local talent and supply chain. In Vietnam, GE is also playing an important role in the

To date, GE has more than 1,000 gas turbines installed in the Asia region. GE Gas Power also has 21 power plant construction sites, eight O&M sites, six repair shops, and five joint ventures in the region, to better support customers on the ground.

GE’s H-Class Combined Cycle power plant is engineered to support the path towards decarbonization of gas power: it is the most responsive and flexible in the industry enabling grid operators to dispatch power quickly and a great complement to intermittent renewables sources. Currently, it has the capability to burn up to 50 percent by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas, with a technology roadmap to achieve 100 percent hydrogen in this platform in the next decade.

VietNam Economic News