Dive Brief:
- GE has opened the “Sky Global Power One" power plant in Texas, featuring a new type of gas engine with higher efficiency rates and faster response times designed to support the integration of large amounts of renewable power.
- The 51 MW project in Colorado County, Texas, utilizes GE Jenbacher J920 FleXtra gas engines, the first of the 8.6 MW engines to be in operation in the U.S.
- The plant will supply peaking power to San Bernard Electric Cooperative's 18,000 customers in south Central Texas.
Dive Insight:
Under terms of their agreement, Sky Global Partners will sell peaking power generation to the San Bernard Electric Cooperative, while also serving as a merchant plant when not needed. That's a "significant part" of the coop's power strategy, officials said.
“This project is a testament to our strong relationship with Sky Global Partners," Billy Marricle, president and general manager of San Bernard, said in a statement. "The plant will not only serve the electrical needs of our membership when needed, but it also will be a merchant plant for others when not serving our needs."
The deal "provides us with protection from electricity exchange price spikes and the opportunity to increase the value of our cooperative," he said.
Growing renewable energy in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas means the plant much provide a very high degree of flexibility within a short period to offset the volatility of the wind and solar resources, said officials. GE supplied the core equipment including engines and the exhaust emission reduction systems, and Sky Global Partners contracted with Haskell for plant design.
“For over a decade, Sky Global had been seeking a means to improve the value of power supply for the public power sector in Texas," said Frank Rotondi, president and CEO of Sky Global Partners. "This project is the first to achieve that vision."
GE provided six of its J920 FleXtra engines to the project. According to Windpower Engineering & Development, the engines are among the most efficient on the market, at 49%,and can start within five minutes.
Correction: The previous headline in this article said "GE deploys first of its latest fast-ramping gas turbines in US to support renewables." That is incorrect, and the headline has been updated to reflect the correct information.