Reliable and predictable manufacturing performance

Why work alongside GE?

GE collaborates with the world’s pulp & paper producers to provide advanced aeroderivative and heavy-duty gas turbines to help pulp and paper mills achieve reliability and predictability in manufacturing performance.

With GE’s expertise in cogeneration power solutions, we can help deliver the energy efficiency needed for industrial customers like pulp & paper mills. When integrating GE aeroderivative and heavy-duty gas turbines, they can count on these benefits:

  • Built-in reliability for 24/7/365 operating capability
  • Production of a high quantity of steam for either power generation or cogeneration
  • High efficiency with lowered impact on the environment
  • Greater performance driven by integrated software and analytics
  • Quick response to large swings in load and built-in protection against frequency drops

GE provides an analysis to identify the exact needs of your pulp & paper plant for onsite power generation that will enhance efficiency and save money. Then, we provide a focused configuration of the CHP solution to fit your needs, including equipment sourcing and cost-benefit analysis. Our project management covers all aspects from creation and delivery to installation and coordination with local utilities. A maintenance schedule is included, to protect and secure your system. Plus, we offer a variety of financing solutions that don’t require upfront investment for onsite equipment.

GE’s portfolio of gas turbines for the pulp & paper industry

GE gas turbines are engineered to reliably help deliver higher output for sustained production of power and/or steam at increased efficiency and lower emissions. A wide array of equipment options and models are available.

7F gas turbine

The demands of today’s power generation industry are many: low cost of electricity, dispatch volatility, along with high efficiency, reliability, and asset availability. 

With more than 1,100 installed units producing ~175GW of power in 12 countries, GE’s 7F gas turbine is a proven performer in all these areas. Among its features, the 7F.05 offers an 11-minute startup to an 80% load, as well as turndown to 24% of turbine baseload within emissions compliance. It can accommodate a wide range of fuels. Building on a 25-year legacy of F-class operation, the 7F.04 supports a broad range of applications and offers the widest fuel flexibility in its class.

6F gas turbine

GE’s 6F gas turbines offer the superior performance, reliability, and flexibility typically associated with larger power plants.

The 6F packs a lot of power into a small package, offering durability and flexibility for harsh or remote power environments. Whether it be for 50 or 60 Hz, the 6F maintains leading efficiency and exhaust energy for combined cycle and CHP performance. The 6F offers segment-leading 32,000-hour combustion and hot gas path inspection intervals.

6B.03 gas turbine

The rugged, reliable 6B.03 heavy-duty gas turbine is a popular choice for refineries, natural gas liquefaction power, CHP applications, and industrial power.

Its ability to operate in island mode, coupled with its 94.6% availability, make the 6B.03 an excellent solution for remote installations and extreme operating conditions far from the grid. The 6B.03 boasts 99% reliability, and with more than 1,200 units installed since 1978, it has a record of dependability. The turbine can ramp to 20 MW in less than five seconds and accommodate non-standard fuels in cogeneration and industrial power generation operations. It features a 44 MW simple cycle output and greater than 51% combined cycle efficiency. Its standardized architecture and pre-assembled packaging allow for a delivery cycle of 10 months from contract signature to commercial operation.

LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine

The LM2500 is the most reliable aeroderivative gas turbine in the world, featuring reliability consistently above 99.8%.

Recommended for combined cycle, onshore and offshore power generation, mechanical drive, and cogeneration, the LM2500 power plants feature 21-34 MW simple cycle output, up to 38.5% efficiency and accommodate a wide variety of fuels. It also comes with optional clutch-less synchronous condensing.

LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine

The LM6000 allows you to operate on a wide variety of fuels—including natural gas, LPG (propane and butane), isopentane, ethanol, diesel, and Coke Oven gas.

This allows you to quickly switch between fuels to save money, all without stopping or a reduction in power. It has a 45-58 MW net power output and up to 41.3% net efficiency. Its start time for a simple cycle is less than 5 minutes, and its ramp rate is 50 MW/minute. The LM6000 offers 99%+ start and operational reliability, alongside 98% availability. Its fast start allows operators to differentiate their dispatch capability, and its dual-fuel capabilities provide fuel flexibility and help customers meet emissions limits.

Energy consumption in pulp & paper production

Steam is essential in numerous stages of the pulp and paper process. It is used in the pulping process to separate fibers and soften pulp, as well as in bleaching and mixing oxygen into the pulp. Steam is also used to evaporate moisture from pulp in preparation for production and to prepare wastewater for reuse.

When plants and mills use cogeneration or a combined heat and power (CHP) system, they can use the exhaust energy from gas turbines to produce steam that in turn can be used for additional energy production with no additional fuel consumption. This helps reduce their energy costs, save energy, reduce emissions and helps to ensure a reliable energy stream.

Customer stories

A continued collaboration with DS Smith Paper

In 1998, DS Smith Paper Italia built a 100-MW paper mill in the Tuscan province of Lucca. The mill was equipped with two of GE’s LM6000PB aeroderivative gas turbines. As the years went by, the company realized they had to modernize to keep up with demand.

In July 2020, DS Smith decided to double down on the LM6000, selecting another aeroderivative unit—this one a PF—along with a seven-year service agreement.

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increase in plant efficiency

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"As a leading global manufacturer of sustainable corrugated case materials and specialty papers, we are committed to creating high-quality, high-performing products, providing the solutions that our customers and society demand. We decided to rely on GE’s proven aeroderivative gas turbine technology to improve the efficiency, power output and lifetime of our power generation assets, while reducing the cost of electricity and improving our plant’s profitability."

Stefano Andreotti

Project Director for DS Smith

Powering a paper mill, collaborating for the future

In 2016, GE Gas Power signed a multi-year agreement with Bio-PAPPEL’s San Juan del Rio paper mill in Querétaro, Mexico. The deal will service their LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbine and help with the installation of a natural gas cogeneration power plant. The installation and agreement will solidify Bio-PAPPEL’s San Juan del Rio paper mill as one of the region’s leaders in printing and copying of uncoated, wood-free paper for notebooks, journals, and similar products.     

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“We selected GE’s proven LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbine technology and long-term services after we recognized that installing a new cogeneration plant at our notebook production facility will help us meet current production goals, maintain leadership in Mexico’s paper industry, and support our commitment towards sustainability.” 

Mr. Li Fujun

General director, power and equipment of Handan Steel Mills

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