General Electric’s Upgrade Exceeds Expectations and Boosts Power Plant’s Output and Availability at Nigeria’s Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals

GE has been collaborating with energy stakeholders to deploy innovative technologies tailored to respond to the needs of the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

General Electric (GE) successfully executed Performance Improvement Package (PIP) upgrade on the third of six 6B gas turbines; project increased overall plant output by over 10 Megawatts (MW), while boosting power plant’s output and availability; executed PIP will improve plant’s efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

In continuation of its operations improvement and power plant modernization plan, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL) and  GE Gas Power announced that they have successfully executed GE’s 6B Performance Improvement Package (PIP) upgrade on the third 6B gas turbine at the petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State. This modernization increased the turbine’s output by 5.1 Megawatts (MW), more than doubling the previously expected power output increase of 2.5 MW - and effectively bringing the cumulative power increase on all three turbines to over 10 MW.

“Refineries have very stringent reliability and safety requirements. GE's proven 6B gas turbine technology will bring added security and robust availability to the already high standards of Indorama s' petrochemical operations,” said a senior management official of Indorama Group of Companies. “We are delighted by GE’s performance improvement package on our 6B turbine. It was executed on time to the highest standard of safety and quality. By increasing the availability and overall reliability of our power plant, we improved the performance of our operations, and we will be able to contribute to the nation’s economic growth.”

The upgrade will help extend the hot gas path component life of the unit, increase availability and lower maintenance costs by eliminating a combustion inspection and extending maintenance intervals between hot gas path inspections to as much as 32,000 hours. In addition, the upgrade is expected to increase output and enhance heat rate through improved materials and airflows, increase parts life up to 96,000 hours, reduce clearances and leakages, and enable firing temperature increases.

“This project underscores GE's commitment to supply the latest technology and services to meet the reliability demands of the petrochemical industry worldwide. More efficient power plants mean more power output available for power plant operators to respond to the growing energy needs of their end-users. With our customized and innovative solutions, we are laser focused on helping our customers increase operational performance, output, and profitability”, said Kenneth Oyakhire, Services Executive of GE’s Gas Power business, Sub-Saharan Africa.

November 17, 2022