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Lahmeyer achieves world record for efficiency at 62.4 per cent in Pakistan?s combined cycle power plant

The combined cycle power plant Haveli in Pakistan operates at an efficiency rate of 62.4 per cent. (Image source: Lahmeyer)

Lahmeyer, one of the leading engineering company across the globe, has announced that its combined cycle power plant in Pakistan?s densely populated Punjab province achieves a world record net efficiency rate of 62.4 per cent

Lahmeyer engineers conducted a precise analysis of the turbines? potential with finally being able to optimise their efficiency above the requested rate. The power plant at the location Haveli Bahadur Shah features a world record net efficiency rate of 62.4 per cent.

Since February 2015, Lahmeyer and the consulting firm National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt) Limited (NESPAK) have been cooperating in the development of electric power generation capacity in the country. The electricity consumption in Pakistan?s Punjab region accounts for 68 per cent of the total national consumption, and the province contains 60 per cent of Pakistan?s industry. With an annual power demand growth of six to eight per cent, Punjab is currently facing power shortfall ranging from 3,000MW to 5,000MW.

Lahmeyer supports NESPAK and two public project companies in the implementation of the three gas and steam combined cycle power plants Balloki, Haveli Bahadur Shah and Bhikki.

Short implementation period and high net efficiency

The major challenge of this project, in addition to the high fuel prices (liquid gas), was the short implementation period. The single-cycle phase should be completed within 18 months (first plant) and the combined-cycle phase within 27 months respectively. To meet these objectives, Lahmeyer and NESPAK decided to equip all three projects with GE H-class gas turbines, model 9HA.01 ? the first use of these turbines in Pakistan.

Especially with the Haveli power plant, which was requested to achieve the highest net efficiency rate, the potential of the state-of-the-art gas turbines had to be investigated in detail.

Promising future development of H-class gas turbines

Additional measures announced by the manufacturers of H-class gas turbines make it possible to achieve a further increase in efficiency of more than 63 per cent for future combined cycle power plants. In addition, the gas turbine capacity will increase, electricity consumption will drop and the EPC implementation period will be reduced.