E.ON Gets Faster, Lower Cost Cycles with OpFlex Solutions

E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, and retailing power and gas - and they are part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. They employ around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide.

GE developed an OpFlex advanced controls technology retrofit package that enables agile and robust combined cycle starts. This package consists of OpFlex Variable Load Path (VLP) which enables GT load and exhaust conditions to be customized to best match bottoming cycle needs, and OpFlex AutoTune MX, which provides fully automated combustor tuning to ensure robust GT operation across the full load range and whole VLP operating space.

Software Components
- OpFlex Variable Load Path (VLP)
- OpFlex AutoTune MX

Impact #1

Time-to-Market - Programming time, production time, and installation time are shortened during the introduction of new products.

Impact #2

Energy Efficiency - The amount of energy used in production processes can be lowered and made more efficient.

Impact #3

Total Cost of Ownership - Total cost of ownership is lowered due to reduction in cost and project time.

Benefit #1

E.ON demonstrated 40% faster and 50% less costly combined cycle plant starts.

Benefit #2

The solution helped E.ON result in 60% more operating hours and starts to cmpared to non-graded plants.

Benefit #3

The solution has been proven in operation more than on 10 unitsat 5 different sites with more than 20,000 cumulative hours and 1,000 starts.

Energy

Maintenance

Overall Equipment Effectiveness