GE to install enhanced-steam-path upgrades at N.J., California power plants

GE Power Services said on Wednesday that it will provide enhanced steam path (ESP) upgrades to an Entergy Rhode Island State Energy LP plant in Johnson, Rhode Island, and the Elk Hills facility in Tupman, California.

“These two projects are great examples of how GE’s advanced upgrades for steam turbines are cost-effective and increase efficiency,” Paul McElhinney, president and CEO of GE Power Services, said. “GE has a fleet of approximately 200 D-11 Steam Turbines located throughout the world, and our current ESP offering can be applied to 60 hertz units to help our customers improve long-term reliability, availability and performance in the competitive markets that exist globally.”

The company said the Rhode Island facility potentially will increase electrical revenue by approximately $4 million annually after the completion of the ESP upgrade. This project will be the first ESP project to be completed by GE. At the California facility, the company said that with enhancements, its energy efficiency is expected to increase by 1 percent, adding 3 megawatts to its generation capacity.

The Rhode Island project is expected to be completed by the end of this month, and the California project is expected to begin in the spring of 2016.