GE, Harbin Electric Bring FlexEfficiency Technology to China

GE and Harbin Electric Co., Ltd. today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which HE agreed to purchase GE’s newest breakthrough gas turbine featuring FlexEfficiency* technology.

As part of the MOU, HE plans to purchase four 9FB gas turbines from GE before the end of 2013, including two that will incorporate FlexEfficiency technology. The purchases are subject to HE being awarded projects, most likely for district heating applications in China.

“China is installing more wind turbines than any other country in the world and has plans to rapidly expand natural gas power generation. This creates an ideal environment for our new FlexEfficiency technology. We are developing partnerships around the world to help us bring our new FlexEfficiency technology to customers across the globe. GE is excited to expand our partnership with Harbin Electric by adding to our already established relationships to bring wind turbine and gas turbine technology excellence to China,” said Paul Browning, president and CEO—thermal products for GE Power & Water.

GE’s breakthrough FlexEfficiency technology is engineered to deliver an unprecedented combination of flexibility and efficiency. By rapidly ramping up and down in response to fluctuations in wind and solar power, the technology will enable the integration of more renewable resources into the power grid. In addition, the high performance of the 9FB gas turbines offers great potential for meeting not only regular power but also cogeneration needs in China.

This exciting technology is the result of an investment of more than $500 million in research and development by GE and a key part of its ongoing work to create and manufacture technologies around the globe that deliver cleaner, more-efficient energy.

HE has been teaming with GE since 2003 to provide heavy duty gas turbines for projects in China, including the Gas Turbine Power Plants Construction Project, a centerpiece of the country’s efforts to meet its growing power requirements. In 2010, GE and HE expanded their relationship, forming a joint venture to serve China’s wind energy industry.

“Our longstanding relationship with GE continues to expand, and together we are developing an exciting future for both companies and for China’s power sector. Harbin Electric’s steam turbine and generator technology, combined with GE’s FlexEfficiency gas turbine technology, provides a powerful combination,” said Mr. Wu Wei Zhang, executive director and president of Harbin Electric Co., Ltd.

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Source: GE, June 3, 2011;