Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May pointed out that “battery technology provides another tool to buttress the overall reliability and resiliency of our system.” Hence, the Perryville Power Station is supported by GE’s 7.4 MW battery-based energy storage system paired with the plant’s OCGT gas turbine.
To provide a black start, traditionally power stations have small diesel generators. Such a black start diesel generator (BSDG) can be used to start larger generators of several megawatts capacity, which in turn can be used to start the main power station generators.
Black start technology proves that flexible open-cycle gas plants, integrated with battery energy storage, are a “good method to effectively support the grid,” said Prakash Chandra, Renewable Hybrids CEO, GE Renewable Energy. “We are proud to have successfully completed the first ever black start of a GE heavy-duty turbine.”
According to GE, this project demonstrates the complementary nature of gas-powered energy and battery storage. “With the battery energy storage system integrated to our heavy-duty gas turbines, we have created a first-of-its-kind backup support system,” explained said Amit Kulkarni, General Manager for Large Blocks product segment, GE Gas Power.
Going forward, GE strives to develop similar projects with customers globally. The black-start at Perryville Power Station serves as a model for future projects in GE’s F-class gas turbine fleet of approximately 900 units in service, with a combined capacity of around 150 GW.