GE new products reduce emissions and meet stringent global environmental regulations
Today at the SMM 2014 exhibition, GE announces it will showcase a variety of cutting-edge projects and solutions to meet demands of the global commercial and naval marine industry.
According to Afra Gerstenfeld, General Manager of Transportation’s Marine group, “The products and services GE provides can help customers operate ships more efficiently, reduce emissions and meet stringent global environmental regulations. Our expertise covers gas turbine propulsion systems and solutions, diesel engines, rotating machines, variable speed drives and automation control systems – for many ship types, notably specialty vessels such as LNG carriers, cruise ships, high-speed yachts, as well as offshore oil and gas vessels, drill ships, tugboats and workboats.”
Recent Contracts/Projects
The following are some notable recent contracts and project announcements as well as key advances that will be on display at GE’s booth during the show:
- Dongwon Industries – one of the world’s largest tuna fishery companies – will use two 16V250 GE Marine diesel engines to power two 80-meter-long tuna purse seiners. The first ship is scheduled for commissioning in late 2015. This is the second GE diesels order from Dongwon. Local support is provided by GE’s regional distributor, YusinHR.
- SAAM – Latin America’s largest tugboat operator, will use eight 8L250 GE diesels to power four new 80-ton BP tugs scheduled for commissioning in 2015. The tugs are designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and are of the RAstar 3200 class. This is the first order that SAAM has placed for GE diesel engines. With over 200 tugs in its fleet, SAAM is the fourth largest tug operator worldwide.
- The fast ferry Francisco, operated by Buquebus between Buenos Aires and Montevideo, is due to begin operation on LNG later this month. This ferry is powered by two of GE’s dual fuel 25 MW gas turbines, allowing the vessel to achieve speeds in excess of 50 knots during normal operation on either gas or liquid fuel.
- GE’s LM500 gas turbines will soon power the Republic of Korea Navy’s PKX-B patrol boat program. The LM500s will be manufactured in-country by Samsung Techwin. The PKX-B program is planned for 34 ships and each ship uses two LM500s. The existing 18 ships in the PKX-A program also are powered by two LM500s per ship.
- GE Marine and Lloyd’s Register recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to identify potential gas turbine-powered commercial ship projects. This MOU allows GE and Lloyd’s Register to work with some of the leading shipyards to approve in principle GE gas turbine-powered commercial vessels for global customers. Separately, GE Marine, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) and Lloyd’s Register have jointly developed a design for a gas turbine-powered LNG carrier. This carrier will provide low life cycle cost, high environmental performance and flexible design. The initial LNG carrier design will be built around a GE gas turbine-based COmbined Gas turbine Electric and Steam system (COGES). Approval in Principle for this design was recently granted by Lloyd’s Register.
- GE provides Echogen Power Systems’ exhaust heat-to-power products using CO2 in a closed loop configuration. These products enhance GE’s mechanical, hybrid and all-electric propulsion system solutions, allowing the overall system thermal efficiency to increase to near 50%.
Diesel Engines
GE Marine’s family of medium-speed marine diesel engines includes 12- and 16-cylinder V250 models and 6- and 8-cylinder L250 models that range from 1.3 MW to 4.7 MW. GE Marine offers an innovative non-Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology for its L250 and V250 series diesel engines that requires no urea-based after-treatment. Eight years in the making, this technology reduces key emissions by more than 70% and enables in-engine compliance with EPA Tier 4 and IMO Tier III emissions standards. The system eliminates SCR and urea use and storage to preserve cargo, accommodation and tank space, and requires no supplemental equipment of fluids, reducing capital and operating expenditure, while decreasing ship design complexity and shipyard installation time and cost.
Gas Turbines, Systems and Services
GE Marine manufactures marine propulsion systems, products and services including gas turbines that range from 4.5 MW to 52 MW. GE Marine’s worldwide commercial marine fleet includes delivery of over 90 gas turbines for 17 cruise ships, five high speed yachts and 18 fast ferries. These engines operate on a variety of fuels, including marine gas oil, biodiesel, bio-synthetic paraffinic kerosene blends and natural gas. GE gas turbines are dual-fuel capable, and have excellent ability to respond to rapidly changing load demands.
GE’s gas turbine systems offer power density (i.e., high power in a light weight, small footprint), fuel flexibility, and an optional, highly reliable Dry Low NOx emissions (DLE) combustion system technology. GE’s DLE system can meet IMO III/Tier 4 EPA requirements now with no exhaust treatment when operating on natural gas or on liquid fuels in combined cycle.
Power Conversion
GE Power Conversion’s electric propulsion systems can save ship owners as much as 5% in cargo space. Customers can rely on GE to engineer, supply and integrate complete power and propulsion systems, vessel control and automation systems and specialist SeaStreamTM dynamic positioning control systems. GE also offers its Visor Asset Management system which provides data management, analysis and advanced capabilities on the fleet level. GE Power Conversion solutions provide numerous benefits including operational excellence and efficiency.
Conference attendees visiting GE’s booth can obtain a copy of the Global Offshore & Marine Solutions Guide, a comprehensive overview of GE offerings which power, propel and position the maritime industry.
Smarter engineering coupled with GE’s range of flexible, products and systems ensures the best solutions are available to suit the precise needs of each ship.
Source: General Electric
