Energie AG to use GE’s Jenbacher
The largest cogeneration plant powered by gas engines in Austria was recently commissioned in Kirchdorf an der Krems (Kirchdorf). Energie AG Oberösterreich Wärme Gmbh (Energie AG) upgraded its district heating facility by replacing the existing steam turbines with three of GE’s latest Jenbacher J624 gas engines, allowing for greater flexibility and higher efficiency.
“As our steam turbines reached the end of their life, we looked for a solution with a proven record for high efficiency, low emissions and flexibility. GE’s gas engine technology was the best product for our requirements,” said Dr. Andreas Kolar, CFO of the Energie AG and managing board of the Energie AG Wärme division. “Additionally, the J624’s small size allowed for us to minimize the modifications and extensions to our building, saving us time and money and allowing us to continue to meet the needs of our customers.”
Under the terms of the project, GE provided three J624, two-stage turbocharged gas engines to Integral Montage Anlagen – und Rohrtechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H., which handled the installation at Energie AG’s site. GE’s J624 gas engine has an output of 4.4 megawatts and is the world’s first gas engine with two-stage turbocharging, providing high electrical efficiency (45.4%), thermal efficiency (43.7%) and overall efficiency (89.1%).
With the new two-stage turbocharger, the output of GE’s J624 gas engine has increased by 10%. This new technology offers significant output and efficiency advantages under hot environment conditions, and it offers a higher total efficiency for combined heat and power applications.