Energy Transition
Countries are racing to decarbonize, and Poland is no different. So when the local utility Energa SA decided to scrap its plan for a new coal-fired power plant and build a new one using natural gas, GE was ready to help. The power station will use GE’s highly efficient 9HA.02 heavy-duty turbine to power the equivalent of 500,000 local homes and help Energa cut CO2 emissions. Power plants using natural gas, depending on the technology and its configuration, can emit nearly 70% fewer carbon emissions than coal-fired power stations. They can also play an important role in accelerating the adoption of renewable sources of energy, thanks to their ability to quickly ramp up power output when sun and wind aren’t available. GE Reports has the story here.
This Airport Is Fly
Indira Gandhi International Airport, in Delhi, just became the first in India to operate on power generated by a combination of sun and water. It’s also the first of its size in the world to run on renewables. Solar power can supply about 10% of its power needs, and starting on June 1, a new hydropower plant built by GMR Energy and GE Hydro Solutions some 300 miles north of the city in Himachal Pradesh, a state in the western Himalayas, has been producing the remaining roughly 90%. The estimated carbon savings, according to Delhi International Airport Limited, will be 220,000 pounds of CO2 per year. This is expected to enable the airport to meet its net-zero goals by 2030. Read the story here.
Engine Deal: Check
Air France-KLM has finalized the purchase of 200 fuel-efficient CFM International LEAP 1-A engines to power its new fleet of Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. Air France-KLM has been a long-standing CFM customer and selected the LEAP engine as part of a strategy to renew and expand its fleet. CFM is a 50-50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. Their engineers were able to lower fuel consumption by 15%, lower CO2 emissions and make it quieter than the engine’s predecessor, the CFM56, by using breakthrough materials and technologies. Read the story here.
Winning With Sustainability
All three stories this week share a theme. Can you guess it? They show how technology and innovation can help make the world more sustainable. GE released its new Sustainability Report at the end of June. The annual document looks at GE’s sustainability goals and priorities and reports important milestones. “We are taking steps today to further strengthen GE’s ability to lead on some of the defining trends of our time — driving decarbonization through the energy transition, enabling precision health and creating a smarter and more efficient future of flight,” said Larry Culp, GE chairman and CEO. “As we prepare for a new and defining chapter in GE’s history, sustainability is deeply rooted in all of our plans and priorities.” Find out more here.
The 5 Coolest Things On Earth ?
1. Kidney transplants done without immunosuppressive drugs.
2. Overcoming cancer’s defenses against some treatments.
3. A holographic patient simulator for medical students.
4. Flu shots as a defense against Alzheimer’s.
5. Using microalgae to make carbon-neutral cement.
— Quote Of The Day —
“The biggest benefit for the customer is that we were able to smoothly transfer the existing coal project to a gas project, using one of the most competitive products, the 9HA.02.”
— Andrzej Twardowski, project director at GE Gas Power
Quote: GE Reports. Images: Energa SA, GMR Energy, Air France-KLM, Borderlands Wind.