GE has announced that the new 7HA.02 gas turbine to be installed at PSEG Power’s Sewaren 7 combined-cycle power plant in New Jersey, USA will be the first H-class turbine in the world capable of dual-fuel operation.
After two winters of polar vortex events, residents in the northeastern United States depend on reliable energy to keep homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and other facilities warm. Concurrently, there’s a continued demand for cleaner, more cost-effective energy. To help meet expectations, PSEG Power, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group, has ordered GE’s 7HA.02 gas turbine and associated equipment for its new Sewaren 7 combined-cycle power plant in New Jersey. The facility is expected to generate 540 MW, the equivalent power needed to supply more than 500,000 homes.
“Our new Sewaren 7 plant and the 7HA.02 gas turbine will help provide the market with more reliable and cleaner power at a lower cost of generation while also supporting the local economy with employment opportunities and tax revenues,” says Rich Lopriore, president of PSEG Fossil, the business that operates PSEG Power's portfolio of natural gas, coal, and oil-fired electric generating units.
GE’s 7HA.02 will replace four steam turbines in operation for nearly 70 years. The new plant will be able to produce the same amount of power from half the amount of fuel compared to the existing plant.
During the polar vortex in the last two winters, nearly a quarter of PJM installed capacity was unavailable due to natural gas constraints. To help provide flexible power when it’s needed, Sewaren 7 will feature the first dual-fuel 7HA.02 that will primarily run on natural gas, but also will be able to operate on ultra-low-sulphur distillate as a backup fuel when natural gas is curtailed for residential use or is otherwise unavailable.
HA technology will help lower the CO2 emission rate to almost half that of typical gas boilers and below the federal government’s final year 2030 Clean Power Plan target for New Jersey. In addition, the unit’s ability to provide faster, more-efficient startups, as compared to previous technology, can help improve PSEG’s competitive position as a power supplier on the regional grid.
