GE Vernova Brings First 1.3-GW Block of Taiwan Gas-Fired Plant Online

GE Vernova said the first of three blocks of a major natural gas-fired power plant in Taiwan is now online. The company on July 7 said the initial 1.3-GW unit of the Taiwan Power Co. Nan Bu Construction Organization (NBCO) Hsinta power station in Kaohsiung is operating, part of the facility’s transition from burning coal to using natural gas.

The Hsinta plant is using GE Vernova’s 7HA.03 equipment in a combined-cycle configuration. The facility is operated by Taiwan Power Co. (TPC, or Taipower). Hsinta previously had four coal-fired units with about 2.1 GW of generation capacity. Taipower had operated the coal units since the 1980s before beginning a series of planned retirements in 2023.

The next two blocks of the Hsinta plant are expected to come online later this year and in 2026. The plant once fully operational will have about 4 GW of generation capacity. Taiwan wants to add more capacity to its power grid to help support its burgeoning technology industry, particularly its semiconductor production sector.

GE Vernova worked with Taiwan’s CTCI Corp., to engineer, build, and commission the first combined-cycle block. Each block at Hsinta will include two high-efficiency GE Vernova 7HA.03 gas turbines with H65 hydrogen cooled generators, two heat recovery steam generators, one GE Vernova STF-D650 steam turbine with H65 hydrogen cooled generator, and other equipment.

“Our latest gas turbine technology, the 7HA.03, is replacing aged coal-fired units with more efficient and flexible gas-fired combined cycle units, marking a significant step in Taiwan’s carbon emission reduction process,” said Ramesh Singaram, president and CEO, Asia, of GE Vernova’s Gas Power division. “We are committed to support Taiwan’s power development and economic growth, helping to drastically reduce current coal power generation and to achieve up to 50% of the energy mix sourced from natural gas by 2025. TPC evaluated our HA combined cycle equipment as the best technology balancing effectively power output, efficiency, flexibility and maintainability.”

GE Vernova on Monday said the Hsinta plant’s design features a modular standard configuration that is simpler and more cost-effective to install, control, and maintain, to support a faster project execution. The company said the plant also has technology enabling faster startup, with the flexibility to adjust the volume of energy produced, which supports power grid stability and the integration of renewable energy resources to the power transmission system.

GE Vernova said the 7HA.03 gas turbine currently has the capability to burn up to 50% by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas.

A Taipower spokesperson said, “Our Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung is a key facility in Taiwan’s energy transition, and in line with Taiwan’s Renewable Energy Development Act [REDA] energy policy centered around transitioning from nuclear power and reducing reliance on coal fuels. Our trusted and long-standing relationship with GE Vernova has been instrumental in achieving the successful commissioning of the first block, while bringing up to 1.3 GW of less carbon-emitting power to our customers through.”

The Hsinta plant when fully operational next year will be part of more than 10 GW of gas-fired power generation in Taiwan using GE Vernova equipment. The company has operated in Taiwan since 1961.

—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.