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Advanced Gas Turbines to Fill Soaring Demand for More Efficient Power Generation

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 06:00 CST

LONDON, November 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Characteristics of higher efficiency and flexibility, the increasing emphasis on distributed generation and cogeneration together with growing demand for electricity are spurring the development of the European gas turbines market.

Rising oil and gas prices and volatile electricity prices are boosting the popularity of high efficiency gas turbines. Flexibility, in terms of their usage for baseload and peakload power generation, coupled with versatility, in terms of range of fuels that can be deployed, are further underlining their appeal.

"Efforts to promote high-quality cogeneration that meets the power requirements of the industrial sector even as it yields significant energy savings, will support demand for smaller capacity gas turbines," says Frost & Sullivan (http://energy.frost.com/) Research Manager Harald Thaler. "This process will also be helped by constant innovation and technical developments that will enhance the performance parameters and suitability of smaller gas turbines in industrial power plants."

Gas turbine technology applications have contributed to the lowering of global green house gases emitted during power generation. This will sustain the use of gas turbines for power generation at least for another decade or until clean-coal technologies become competitive. Their uptake is also set to rise following the entrance of the central and eastern European countries into the emissions trading market.

Rising electricity consumption in Europe, particularly eastern and central Europe, will also cause additions in gas-based capacity. For instance, the annual estimated rate of growth in electricity demand across central and eastern Europe (excluding Turkey) over the period 2005 to 2010 is 3 per cent, with growth to be highest in Croatia and Slovenia.

Moreover, as the power generation markets of central and eastern Europe become increasingly deregulated, the use of gas turbines will increase due to their attributes of high efficiency, low start-up time, low gestation period and flexibility of usage between baseload and peakload operations.

Boosted by these factors, the relative share of Mainland Europe in terms of annual additions of gas turbines will fall from about 73 per cent in 2004 to about 42 per cent in 2010, while central and eastern Europe is expected to expand rapidly from 9.2 per cent to 46 per cent over the same period.

A total of 46,640 MW of gas turbine (7.773 GW per year) is projected to be added to the European electricity sector over the period 2005 to 2010. Frost & Sullivan estimates total addition of 40.026 GW of gas turbines from 2011 to 2015, and a further addition of 43 GW during the period 2016 to 2020.

Of this, the European power generation market is forecast to add 9.263 GW of advanced gas turbines over the period 2005 to 2010, followed by an addition of 16.639 GW over the period 2011 to 15 and 13.586 GW over the period 2016 to 2020. These capacity additions are expected to comprise about 31 per cent of total gas turbines additions anticipated over the period 2005 to 2020.

A key development will be the continuing proliferation of combined cycle power plants, although the market share of the smaller gas turbines (below 60 MW) will expand due to the government incentives for CHP, the need for more peaking capacity and growing competitiveness of distributed generation technologies.

Examining the long-term technological roadmap of the advanced gas turbines market, Mr. Thaler says, "While the single cycle efficiencies will start touching efficiencies in lower fifties by the year 2015, emergence of hybrid technology, possibly involving fuel cells, would lead to even high efficiencies by the year 2020."

"The rising competitiveness of carbon sequestration could also mean zero carbon emissions that would make Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) even more acceptable," notes Mr Thaler. "NOx emissions would also decline to single digit ppm levels by the year 2015 and may even be reduced to less than 2 ppm, again due to the use of hybrids."

With the prospects for advanced gas turbines bright, manufacturers need to concentrate on improving the price-performance ratio. Value addition can be achieved through developing higher efficiency, greater fuel flexibility, stability at lower loads, lower operation and maintenance costs. Addressing end-user emphasis on emissions, availability and lifetime of the turbine will also be crucial to competitive success.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of the Future Prospects for Advanced Gas Turbines in Europe, then send an e-mail to Magdalena Oberland - Corporate Communications at magdalena.oberland@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, country and source of information. We will send you the information via email upon receipt of the above information.

Title: Future Prospects for Advanced Gas Turbines in Europe Background

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics.

Media Contacts: Europe: Magdalena Oberland Corporate Communications P: +44-(0)-20-7915-7876 E: magdalena.oberland@frost.com Americas: Trisha Bradley Corporate Communications P: +1-210-247-3870 E: trisha.bradley@frost.com Asia Pacific Donna Jeremiah Corporate Communications - Asia Pacific P: +603-6304-5832 E: djeremiah@frost.com India: Surbhi Dedhia Corporate Communications P: +91-22-2832 4705 Ext: 131 E: sdedhia@frost.com Australia: Sharmin Jassal Corporate Communications P: + 61-2-8247-8900 E: sjassal@frost.com

Key words in this press release: distributed generation, cogeneration, advanced gas turbines, green house gases, gas turbines, clean-coal technologies, power generation, gas emissions, gas-based capacity, Croatia, Slovenia, combined cycle power plants, baseload power generation, peakload power generation, CHP, single cycle efficiencies, hybrid technology, fuel cells, zero carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), NOx emissions

Frost & Sullivan

CONTACT: Media Contacts: Europe: Magdalena Oberland, CorporateCommunications, P: +44-(0)-20-7915-7876, E: magdalena.oberland@frost.comAmericas: Trisha Bradley, Corporate Communications, P: +1-210-247-3870, E:trisha.bradley@frost.com Asia Pacific: Donna Jeremiah, CorporateCommunications - Asia Pacific, P: +603-6304-5832, E: djeremiah@frost.comIndia: Surbhi Dedhia, Corporate Communications, P: +91-22-2832 4705 Ext: 131,E: sdedhia@frost.com Australia: Sharmin Jassal, Corporate Communications, P:+ 61-2-8247-8900, E: sjassal@frost.com

Source: PRNewswire

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