Pakistan's Haveli Bahadur Shah (HBS) power plant has completed all commissioning activities and has now started combined cycle commercial operations to add up to 1,230 MW of reliable power to the national grid. The project is among the largest gas-fired combined cycle plants in the country, capable of supplying the equivalent power needed to meet the electricity needs of up to 2.5 million Pakistani homes and one of the most efficient combined cycle power plants in the world today.
“The start of combined cycle commercial operations at HBS Power Plant marks a major milestone in the power sector of Pakistan, supporting the government’s goal to enhance access to reliable, affordable power,” said Rashid Mahmood, CEO of National Power Parks Management Co. Ltd (NPPMCL) .
The HBS project was initiated by NPPMCL, which is solely owned by the Government of Pakistan through the Ministry of Water & Power, and was entirely funded through the Public-Sector Development Programme (PSDP). SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project, responsible for setting up the power plant and all commissioning activities. GE has supplied two of its advanced HA heavy-duty gas turbines, one steam turbine and two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) for the plant, as well as technical advisory services.
Wang Zengxu, SEPCOIII’s Project Director at HBS said, “The Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant demonstrates the power of global collaboration with the application of best-in-class technology. We have drawn on a leading combination of exceptional Chinese engineering skills and know-how, together with GE’s record-setting technology for the facility, to build the most efficient combined cycle power plant in the country.”
The Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant is about the size of 65 football fields and staff from over 35 countries worked together to complete the project. The project’s execution has been among the fastest globally and three to four months shorter than typical for projects of comparable scale and complexity. Performance tests to date indicate that HBS has set world record levels of efficiency.
GE’s HA technology has undergone full-speed, full-load validation tests at GE’s Greenville, South Carolina facility in the United States at extreme conditions well beyond those encountered while in service. It is the fastest growing fleet of heavy-duty gas turbines today, with more than 75 units ordered to date by over 25 customers across more than 15 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Japan, Bahrain, China, France and others. The technology has now delivered two world records - one for powering the world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant, based on achieving 63.08 percent gross efficiency at Chubu Electric Nishi-Nagoya Power Plant Block-1 in Japan and another for helping EDF’s Bouchain Power Plant achieve 62.22 percent net combined cycle efficiency in France. With these achievements, GE’s HA turbine has been recognized for powering the world’s most efficient power plants in both the 60 hertz (Hz) and 50 Hz energy segments. Furthermore, the HA can ramp up or down quickly, while still meeting emissions requirements to help maintain grid stability. It thus offers an excellent flexible complement to intermittent renewable sources as Pakistan increases the proportion of alternative energy.
GE’s H-class technology is also being used at Pakistan’s upcoming Bhikki and Balloki Power Plants. Together, HBS, Bhikki and Balloki are expected to add up to 3,600 MW to Pakistan’s grid, going a long way towards helping the government realize its goal under Vision 2025 to enhance access to electricity to over 90 percent of the population.
