GE to modernize Hrvatska Elektroprivreda d.d.’s power plant in Croatia

GE’s Power Services has been contracted to modernize Hrvatska Elektroprivreda d.d.’s power plant in Plomin, Croatia, the only coal-fired power plant in the country.

GE’s retrofits—the first of this kind executed in the country—will help improve the plant’s heat rate, increase its power output, lower its operational and maintenance costs and extend the operating life of the steam turbine.

“We chose GE to help us increase the efficiency and output of our assets, which will help the power plant to operate more efficiently and in a cost-effective manner,” said Mihajlo Mirkovic, plant manager, Hrvatska Elektroprivreda d.d. “GE’s retrofit will enable us to modernize the plant to increase performance with lower costs and additional environmental and emissions controls.”

The retrofit service is part of GE’s new Fleet360* platform of total plant solutions to service GE and cross-fleet components for utility and industrial plant operators worldwide. GE will upgrade a D2Y252 A steam turbine with advanced 3-D blades. After the retrofit of the 210-megawatt steam turbines, the plant’s output will increase, and the efficiency will be improved by up to 3.6 percent by reducing specific heat consumption.

“Coal is forecasted to remain the world’s second largest energy source through 2030 and an even more critical source of electricity in developing economies,” said Pascal Schweitzer, general manager, GE’s Power Services, Europe. “The ability of nations to meet the emissions goals set out in the Paris COP21 agreement, while meeting growing demands for electricity, will depend on the ability of fossil fuel-powered plants such as coal to deliver power more flexibly, responsively and more cleanly. With our broad portfolio, we are pleased to help our customers, like Hrvatska elektroprivreda d.d., improve the efficiency of their coal-fired plants while further lowering atmospheric emissions to meet the world’s strictest regulations.”

The power plant upgrade will include a major overhaul of the high-pressure and intermediate-pressure parts of the steam turbines with a replacement of capital parts. The retrofit of the low-pressure part of the steam turbine will feature the use of GE’s advanced 3-D blades, new rotor, blade carriers, inner casing and other spare parts. Additionally, the lifetime of the steam turbines will be extended for an approximate additional 200,000 operating hours.

The steam turbine retrofit is expected to start in May 2017, and the commissioning of the upgraded equipment is scheduled for July 2017.