Advanced Gas Turbine Technology for Sendai Thermal Power Station, Unit No. 4

Worldwide environmental concerns are placing center focus on effective utilization of energy and carbon dioxide emission reductions. The power generation industry has engaged in the replacement of existing aged thermal power plants with state-of-the-art natural gas fired power plants capable of achieving considerable reductions in energy consumption and emissions of green house gases. The replacement of three exiting 175MW heavy oil and coal-firing power plants with a highly effective 446MW gas-firing combined cycle power plant owned and operated by Tohoku Electric Power Company is one example of this effort. The construction of the new Sendai thermal power station, Unit No.4 started in November, 2007 achieving commercial operation in July, 2010. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries most recent 50Hz F class gas turbine upgrade, the M701F4 was adopted for this project. This engine is based on the successful M701F3 gas turbine with a 6% air flow increase and a slight bump of the turbine inlet temperature in order to achieve better thermal efficiency and more power output. The application of these advanced technologies resulted in a plant thermal efficiency of approximately 58% LHV of the new unit from the original 43% of the previous coal-firing units. The application of these advanced technologies and the use of natural gas resulted in a 2/3 carbon-dioxide emissions reduction.