Ansaldo Energia Gas Turbine Operating Experience With Low BTU Fuels

Abstract

The Gas Turbine market for low BTU fuels has become very important in Italy in the last decade mainly due to the chance for the private utilities to sell power to the grid at higher rates according to a national law (CIP6/1992) specifically dealing with recovery fuel use for gas turbine power generation. Ansaldo Energia has been engaged in three low BTU fuel projects in Italy dealing respectively with IGCC technology and steel mill fuel gas. Each of these plants has its own features which all in all gives a wide range of experiences in development and operation of gas turbine fired with low BTU fuels. The first project is the ISAB Priolo IGCC plant, whereas two V94.2K manufactured by Ansaldo Energia are in operation burning syngas from residual refinery gasification since 1999. Since the presence of fuel impurities coming from the gasifier a new design phase and a test campaign has been necessary to re-design the syngas burner, originally developed by Siemens PG, in order to overcome this problems. The engines are now successfully operating. The second project is the Elettra Servola combined cycle plant whereas a V94.2K manufactured by Ansaldo Energia is in operation since 2000 burning a mixture of steel mill gas and natural gas. During the successfully operation some burner design optimisation has been required in order to meet the industrial process modification. The third project is the ENIPower Ferrera Erbognone IGCC plant is under realisation and the relevant first firing will be expected on next January 2004. The syngas burner test campaign carried out has shown very promising results that have to be confirmed on site. The paper is showing the combustion concept relevant to the combustion system and is giving an overview about the operating experience achieved by Ansaldo Energia in this field mainly focusing on how the main critical aspects have been faced and overcome.