GE Signs Long-Term Maintenance and Support Agreement for Gas Turbines at Four U.K. Industrial Power Plants

MILAN, ITALY - June 2008 : – GE Energy has signed an eight-year agreement with RWE npower Cogen to provide maintenance and support services that could help increase the long-term reliability of GE gas turbines operating at four industrial power plants in the United Kingdom.

The agreement covers five GE Frame 6B gas turbines and one GE Frame 9E gas turbine, ranging in output from 40 to 120 megawatts. All of the gas turbines are connected to heat recovery steam generators, with steam and electricity provided to the host industrial facilities.

The gas turbines are located at Exxon Mobil’s Fawley Refinery in Southampton, the Aylesford Paper facility in Aylesford, Kent, the Bridgewater Paper plant in Bridgewater, Warrington and a Phillips Petroleum and BASF facility in Seal Sands, Middlesborough.

The GE agreement includes scheduled maintenance, with a mechanism for managi ng unscheduled events and includes management of spare gas turbine replacement parts and part repairs as required. The agreement took effect April 1.

“By signing the agreement with GE, npower Cogen gains direct access to GE engineering resources, upgrades and improvements and support from the GE service network,” said Stephen Penfold, services sales manager for GE Energy.

Previously, the gas turbines were maintained under an agreement with an independent service provider. “The new contract principles have focused on developing the relationship to enable both parties to proactively work closely together, to better understand each other’s needs and promote teamwork,” Penfold added. “GE’s increased understanding of npower Cogen’s operating requirements will present opportunities that can help improve the profitability of the units over the lifetime of the contract.”

RWE npower, the parent of npower Cogen, owns a large fleet of thermal power plants in the U.K. In addition to the GE technology units covered in the new service agreement, RWE owns and operates two GE 9F gas turbines at the Little Barford Power Station and a GE 109FA single -shaft plant at Great Yarmouth Power Station.