GE Aviation

--RIO DE JANEIRO - In the first two years of commercial service, GE's LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines show a reliability and availability of 99.7 percent and 96.8 percent respectively, GE Marine & Industrial Engines (M&IE) reported today. The LM6000 is the first aeroderivative gas turbine in the world to operate at greater than 40 megawatts and 40 percent thermal efficiency.

The LM6000 gas turbine shares about 90 percent commonality with GE's experienced CF6-80C2 aircraft engine. For the past 10 years, the CF6-80C2 has been the world's most successful, high-thrust engine.

The unique, compact design of the LM6000 provides for reduced unit and maintenance costs. The modular LM6000 package offers many benefits to users including:

- fast delivery after customer commitment - low installation costs - easy operation - reduced project risk

The LM6000 package begins with a rigid I-beam baseplate and a weatherproof acoustic enclosure. The LM6000 gas turbine and performance-matched GE generator are then mounted, with the addition of piping, wiring, controls, fans, motors, and pumps for auxiliary systems to complete the package. Prior to shipment from the factory, the turbine, generator, controls and auxiliaries are full-load string-tested to verify unit performance and auxiliary systems integrity.

The LM6000 combustion system can accommodate operation on gas or distillate fuels with steam or water injection for nitrogen of oxides (Nox) emissions reduction. The first LM6000 equipped with M&IE's Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion system began commercial operation in mid-January 1995 at SPRE's Gent Power Station in Belgium. Two additional LM6000's equipped with the DLE system began commercial service at Orange Cogen in Bartow, Florida, in April 1995. All three LM6000 DLE combustion systems are easily meeting their performance, Nox, CO and unburned hydrocarbons emission requirements. Three additional LM6000s equipped with the DLE system are expected to enter commercial service by the end of 1995 - one unit at PNEM's Eindhoven site in the Netherlands, and two units at the Community of Silkeborg plant in Denmark.

The fleet operating experience of the LM6000 continues to gain momentum rapidly, with 55 units expected to be in service by the end of 1995 in various power generation applications throughout the U.S.A., Canada, Europe and the Far East.

M&IE, part of GE Aircraft Engines, is the world's leading manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of power generation, gas transmission and marine propulsion applications. M&IE is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, U.S.A.