Mitsubishi Power and the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), the largest public utility in Oklahoma, USA, have signed an agreement to provide a second gas turbine to the Grand River Energy Centre in Chouteau, Oklahoma.
This will be the first M501JAC gas turbine to operate in simple cycle in the USA. Unit 4 replaces the last remaining coal-fired unit at the Grand River Energy Centre.
The M501JAC enhanced air-cooled gas turbine for Unit 4 will replace the Energy Centre’s Unit 2, a 492 MW coal-fired generator that came online in 1985. The Unit 4 gas turbine is hydrogen-capable and can be adapted in the future to operate either on a blend or on 100 per cent hydrogen.
This is the second project the GRDA has awarded to Mitsubishi Power for its Grand River Energy Centre. The first ever J-series gas turbine to operate in the USA is the Centre’s Unit 3, a 500 MW gas turbine combined cycle power station that began operations in 2017.
Construction on Unit 4 is due to start in January 2024, with operations scheduled to start by April 2026. The agreement also includes long-term service and maintenance, replacement parts supply, and remote monitoring.
Bill Newsom, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas said: “By replacing its coal-fired units with our advanced J-Class gas turbines, including Unit 4’s hydrogen-capable turbine, GRDA is demonstrating its continuing commitment to cleaner, more flexible and reliable energy production.”