MHI Ships First Unit of State-of-the-Art "M501J" Gas Turbine

The Himeji No.2 Power Station is one of Kansai EP's largest thermal power stations. Since operation of the first power generation unit began in 1963, it has consistently played a key role as Kansai EP's major power supply source. Currently the power station is undergoing replacement of its aged power generation facilities, and installation of the M501J gas turbines is part of this initiative. The six units are slated to go on-stream progressively between October 2013 and October 2015. MHI will undertake installation work together with Kansai EP, aiming toward achievement of the world's most efficient GTCC power generation facility when completed.

The 60 hertz (Hz) M501J shipped was developed in the spring of 2009 incorporating MHI's proprietary technologies. The turbine is able to withstand a temperature 100 degrees higher than the 1,500°C-class G-Series gas turbines, which featured the highest temperature available until then. The 1,600°C-class J-Series gas turbine has achieved a rated power output near 320 MW (ISO basis) and 460 MW in GTCC power generation applications, where heat recovery steam generators and steam turbines are also used. MHI has also confirmed gross thermal efficiency exceeding 60% - the world's highest level in GTCC applications. With the J-Series gas turbine, GTCC power generation will be able to achieve CO2 emissions approximately 50% lower than with conventional coal-fired power generation (comparison with MHI's power plants).

The Takasago Machinery Works handles the development of MHI's gas turbines integrally, from developmental design through manufacturing and testing. The company has conducted verification testing of the M501J on those premises since last February, using a combined-cycle power plant dedicated to that purpose. Final verification of the gas turbine was completed with the achievement of the targeted 1,600°C turbine inlet temperature.

In response to the achievement of the world's highest power generation efficiency and the successful completion of verification testing, MHI has received many business inquiries for the J-Series gas turbine, not only from interested parties in Japan, including Kansai EP, but from other countries as well. The company has also already taken its first overseas order for the new turbine from Korea.

Gathering momentum from the shipment of the first unit to Kansai EP, going forward MHI will now ramp up its marketing activities for the next-generation J-Series gas turbine further.