HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2004--GE announced today that it has signed its first North American order for the new LMS100(TM), the world's most efficient simple-cycle gas turbine, with Basin Electric Power Cooperative of Bismarck, N.D. Introduced in December 2003, the LMS100 is the most extensive collaboration of design and manufacturing in GE's history, with four GE business units and three other companies participating in the development program.
The 100-megawatt LMS100 represents the first time GE has combined components from GE Energy's heavy-duty frame gas turbines and GE Transportation's aeroderivative gas turbines to provide significant improvements in gas turbine efficiency. GE will supply Basin Electric with one LMS100 simple-cycle, dual-fuel gas turbine generator set for its Groton Generation Station, located near Groton, S.D.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative. It operates electricity-generating power plants with a total capacity of 3412 megawatts. Basin Electric will operate the Groton site as a simple-cycle, peaking facility. The rated net site capacity will be approximately 94 megawatts. Natural gas will be the primary fuel. The gas turbine generator package will be capable of using distillate fuel as a back up.
In simple-cycle, the LMS100 has an efficiency of 46 percent. A key reason for the high efficiency is the use of off-engine intercooling technology within the compression section of the gas turbine. The LMS100 is the first modern production gas turbine in the power generation industry to employ this technology.
Components of the LMS100, which are manufactured in the GE facilities in Greenville, SC and Evendale, OH, will be shipped to the GE facility in Houston, Texas in the fall of 2005. The complete turbine-generator package will be assembled there, tested and shipped to the project site. The Basin plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in mid-2006.
Basin Electric (www.basinelectric.com) is one of the largest electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives in the United States. Its core business is generating and delivering wholesale electricity to 120 member cooperative systems that in turn serve approximately 1.8 million consumers in the nine states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and New Mexico.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2003 revenues of nearly $18.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
About GE Transportation
GE Transportation (GET), part of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), operates GE's world-leading Rail and Aircraft Engines businesses. GE is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also manufactures gas turbines, derived from its highly successful jet engine programs, for marine and industrial applications. In addition, GE provides comprehensive maintenance support, through its Engine Services operation.
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