Two 130 MW Siemens-made steam turbines at Vattenfall’s district heating plant in Wedel near Hamburg will be overhauled by GE. The Wedel station agreement builds on GE’s 25 years of servicing generation equipment at various Vattenfall power plants throughout Germany.
The US manufacturer stressed the project “recognizes GE’s enhanced capabilities to service power equipment made by other manufacturers.” GE enhanced its capabilities to service power equipment made by other manufacturers following the acquisition of Alstom Power in November 2015.
The Wedel turbine overhauls are part of an overall refurbishment project that Vattenfall will undertake at the station. Hereby, GE will overhaul the Wedel CHP’s two-unit station’s generating equipment in 2017 and 2018, with each unit comprised of a turboset featuring one high-pressure turbine, one intermediate-pressure turbine and one low-pressure turbine. The upgrades are meant to extend the operating life of the units by “several years” and help increase their reliability and efficiency.
GE also will supply the valves and deliver the new LP stationary and rotating blades. Major parts of the overhaul work will be performed on-site, but the rotors will be shipped to GE’s service factory in Berlin.
The turbine overhauls are scheduled to be performed from April to August 2017 (Unit 2) and the same period in 2018 (Unit 1).
Markus Wonka, plant manager from Vattenfall in Hamburg, said GE has presented the utility with “a comprehensive proposal to refurbish the Wedel station’s steam turbines.” Lifetime extension measures, amongst others, will be implemented “to help guarantee a sustainable operation of the plant.”