With minor future modifications, the unit M501JAC is also capable of using a hydrogen mix as a fuel
Progress continues on new natural gas generation units at Plant Yates in Coweta County, Georgia, located about an hour southwest of Atlanta. Georgia Power recently received delivery of the latest major components – including the turbine and generator – to complete the new Unit 9 combustion turbine (CT). Each new Plant Yates CT includes a state-of-the-art Mitsubishi Power M501JAC simple-cycle gas combustion turbine and a Mitsubishi Electric Power VP-X Series turbine generator. Assembled at Mitsubishi Power’s Savannah Machinery Works facility, the units were transported to the site using both rail and truck.
Georgia Power is building three new CTs at Plant Yates that were approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) in the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and, thanks to the efficient planning and construction timelines available for natural gas generation, are expected to be online by the end of 2027 to meet new energy demand in the state. Components for Unit 8 were delivered in August and the components for Unit 10 are expected to be delivered in early 2026. When all units are in service, the three units will provide 1,300 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity for customers.
The three advanced-class gas turbines at Plant Yates will provide higher output and greater efficiency than previous generations of simple-cycle CT designs, and each turbine weighs nearly 350 tons and is 50 feet long and 18 feet wide. The air-cooled Mitsubishi Power M501JAC Series design provides operational flexibility by eliminating the need for steam cooling, offering a shorter start-up time of approximately 30 minutes and a lower turn down rate. As a contingency in the unlikely event that natural gas is unavailable, the units have built-in flexibility to run on oil, with on-site oil storage capability to provide reliability and resiliency benefits to the electric system. With minor future modifications, the M501JAC is also capable of using a hydrogen mix as a fuel. Blending technology continues to advance as an option across the industry in the pursuit of reduced carbon emissions, and Georgia Power is leading the way in this innovative research, recently partnering with Mitsubishi Power for a 50% hydrogen-blending project at Plant McDonough-Atkinson.
The three Mitsubishi Electric Power VP-X generators are highly efficient, hydrogen cooled units that are rated at 583 megavolt-amperes (MVA) each, representing the total apparent power generated by the unit. These generators have achieved world-leading high efficiency of 99%. Each unit weighs approximately 779,782 pounds.
Image of Georgia Power
Press release https://h7.cl/1ldZw
