The world’s first commercial ORegenTM waste heat recovery system, an innovative technology developed by GE Oil Gas (NYSE: GE) that enables a gas turbine to produce extra power without any additional emissions or fuel consumption and no water use, will be installed at Alliance Pipeline’s (APL) Whitecourt Compressor Station about 200 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Edmonton, Alberta.
The deal was announced today at the Global Clean Energy Congress by Alliance Pipeline and its sister company, NRGreen Power. Thanks to its environmental benefits, the ORegen technology qualified for partial government funding through the Alberta Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation.
GE Oil Gas has received a contract to supply the ORegen system to NRGreen Power, who is coordinating the project. ORegen will produce 14 megawatts of electricity, using waste heat from the existing APL compressor station, avoiding associated CO2 emissions and maximizing energy efficiency.
NRGreen Power is involved in the commercial development of electrical generation opportunities associated with the Canadian portion of the APL natural gas pipeline system by recovering and converting waste heat at compressor stations and transforming it into electricity. The benefits of deploying the systems also include the improvement of the overall plant efficiency up to 20 percent.
“We congratulate Alliance Pipeline and NRGreen Power for their leadership in developing this landmark project, which offers both economic and environmental benefits for the pipeline industry,” said Andrew Way, vice president global services of GE Oil Gas.
“We are very pleased that our breakthrough technology has been selected to support this vital pipeline, which brings natural gas into the heartland of the United States. We are confident that our new ORegen waste heat recovery system will deliver on its promise and will help Alliance and NRGreen Power to reach their environmental and productivity goals.”
The Alliance Pipeline transports approximately 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from British Columbia and northwestern Alberta through Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa to a terminal in Chicago. GE has supplied all of the compression equipment for the mainline pipeline system, including 16 gas turbine-driven compression systems.
“The success of this project is largely driven by the excellent relationship between GE and APL, which dates back to 2000 when we were starting up our pipeline system,” said Murray Birch, president and CEO of NRGreen, an affiliate of Alliance Pipeline.
“The installation of the first ORegen system continues our tradition of working with GE to keep our pipeline system in the technology forefront of our industry. We expect the system to eliminate more than 38,000 metric tons of CO2 per year and at the same time produce additional electricity directly connected to the grid without any water consumption.”
Development of ORegen Technology
The development of the ORegen system is part of a broader GE Oil Gas research program that designs waste heat recovery systems for a wide range of applications. It is part of a growing family of products that have been qualified under ecomagination, since GE launched that company-wide initiative in 2005.
To earn ecomagination qualification, a product is evaluated for its ability to significantly and measurably improve the customer’s environmental and operating performance. A gas turbine equipped with the ORegen system operating more than 8,500 hours a year, compared to the same turbine operating in a combined-cycle system, generates additional electricity while avoiding the consumption of more than 11,000 cubic meters of water per year—equivalent to more than four Olympic-sized swimming pools.
When joined with a GE PGT25+ gas turbine, the ORegen unit can provide up to 25 percent additional power, creating an additional revenue source, while avoiding associated CO2 emissions. ORegen is applicable on any type of simple-cycle gas turbine.
The ORegen system is ideal for use in remote locations like Whitecourt, because it does not require the use of water or any onsite operational supervision and can operate at very low ambient temperatures. ORegen is the largest organic rankine cycle single unit available in the market for gas turbines waste heat recovery.
NRGreen Power will start the construction of the facility basement in May 2012. The ORegen system will be delivered to NRGreen at the end of 2012, with installation and commissioning expected to take about six months. Commercial operation is planned by 2013. The project builds on GE’s already strong presence in Alberta. The company maintains a repair shop in Edmonton and offices in Calgary, including a GE Innovation Center and a GE Global Heavy Oil Center of Excellence.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.ge.com.
GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world.
The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil Gas—work together with more than 100,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.
