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| Future Prospects for Advanced Gas Turbines in Europe
| | 05/01/05, 9257 | | From ResearchAndMarkets.com | |
Gas Turbines Moving Beyond Power Generation Gas turbines have undergone rapid changes in terms of increased size and electrical and thermal efficiency, fuel flexibility, reliability and availability and environmental friendliness. In addition to catering to the combined heat and power applications for the industries, gas turbines are also finding demand in the utility sector. Most of the development is expected to take place in the form of combined cycle power plants. The potential energy savings possible through cogeneration are also pushing demand for smaller capacity gas turbines. This Frost & Sullivan research service looks at the key technological development in gas turbines with the electrical output of more than 5 MW which are used for power generation purposes, both in the utility and industrial sector. In addition to the key drivers and restraints that influence demand for gas turbines, the study also examines the various policies and measures that are in place or are expected to be implemented in the coming years that will influence gas turbine technology. It also reviews the ongoing research and the recent market launches and then offers a roadmap for future growth in European gas turbines market. Demand for Gas Turbines to Stem Mostly from the Competitive Electricity Market Competitive electricity markets require the right amount of power at the appropriate time and manufacturers of gas turbines targeting this market must focus on reliability as a key value proposition. For instance, if the gas turbine fails to generate power as per the predetermined schedule, the penalties can be very high, depending on the nature of the current demand and supply, says the analyst of this research service. So, reliability becomes at least as important as the efficiency of the engine. Another factor fuelling demand for gas turbines is the improved flexibility, not only in terms of variety of fuels, but also in its usage for both baseload and peakload power generation. The recent developments in gas turbines also complement efforts to launch coal-gasification plants that meet the stiff environmental regulations. The Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology and the biomass-based power projects are likely to benefit from the growing flexibility of gas turbines. Improved Efficiencies in Gas Turbines to Drive Future Demand Considering the rising oil prices and increasingly volatile electricity prices, the improvement in efficiency is a significant development and has fuelled the popularity of gas turbines. While the steam turbine efficiencies can reach 35 percent, the new-age intercooled gas turbines are noted for stretching the limit to the lower 40s, explains the analyst. Moreover, if used in cogeneration mode, the efficiencies can go up to 60 percent. Recent research has also been directed towards increasing the efficiency of single-cycle gas turbines to the lower 50s. The emergence of hybrid technology, possible involving fuel cells, is expected to lead to higher efficiencies by 2020. The size of the gas turbine is also on the rise and by 2015 manufacturers are likely to offer mega-sized units with a 450-600 MW capacity. | |
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