GE has received a new order to modernize EnergyAustralia’s Tallawarra A power plant, powered by a GT26 gas turbine installed nearly thirteen years ago, with the HE upgrade, a proven solution that was first introduced for the GT26 gas turbine in 2019. This solution aims to provide the Tallawarra A power plant, located in Yallah on the western shore of Lake Illawarra in the state of New South Wales (NSW), with a leap forward in efficiency and output, supporting the expected energy demand following the closure of the coal fired 1,680-megawatt Liddell plant in the Hunter Valley region.
NSW requires fast-start gas-fired generation to support renewables growth as coal plants phase out of operations. Before the Tallawarra gas-fired power station commenced operations in January 2009, the site was a 320 MW coal-fired power station, which operated between 1954 and 1989. Now, it is a combined cycle station with fast-start capability, which produces less carbon emissions than conventional coal-fired power stations. The gas-fired power station’s generation capacity is 440 MW – which is the equivalent power to supply up to 200,000 Australian homes.
GE’s HE upgrade for the GT26 blends cutting-edge technology from GE’s industry-leading F and H class fleets with additive manufactured parts and innovations in aerodynamics, material science and combustion dynamics. The significant performance improvement that the HE solution delivers is attributable to technology breakthroughs across every major component of the GT26 frame.
