Company showcase GE Energy provides CEPSA with cogeneration technology
Compañia Española de Petróleos SA (CEPSA), a leading company in Spain's petrochemical and petroleum sector, has selected GE's F-class gas turbine technology to extend a cogeneration plant at the La Rábida refinery in Huelva. CEPSA's Frame 6FA gas turbine-generator will be equipped with GE's dry low NOx (DLN) 2.6 combustion system for operation on natural gas. The plant extension is designed to further increase the refinery's utilisation rate, already among the highest in Europe at approximately 98%. Ricardo Cordoba, GE Energy's president for Western Europe and North Africa, said: "with its output range, high exhaust energy and robust design, the 6FA is well suited for a wide range of applications, including the petrochemical industry. We're pleased that CEPSA has selected our technology to help increase the productivity of the La Rábida site. " The deal follows on Spain's Royal Decree for Renewables and Cogeneration of May 2007, allowing cogeneration plants to surpass the former 50 MW limit and still qualify for the country's feed-in tariff. In total, a 6FA generates about 75 MW of power. Edinburgh-based Aquamarine Power Ltd has agreed a new five-year research partnership with the Wave Power Research Group at Queen's University Belfast. Under the agreement, Aquamarine and Queen's will work together to develop the next generation of the company's Oyster hydro-electric wave power device. The Wave Power Research Group, headed by Professor Trevor Whittaker, has already worked with Aquamarine, helping to deliver feasibility studies, tank testing and numerical modelling for the first Oyster prototype, due to be launched at sea at the European Marine Energy Centre this summer. Aquamarine sees the new agreement as a key step in strengthening its fundamental research capacity and ensuring that the company delivers high performance commercial wave power devices. Martin McAdam, ceo, Aquamarine, said: "this agreement creates a fantastic opportunity on two fronts. It provides Aquamarine with access to the University's world-class wave power test facilities and, as important, gives us access to the brightest PhD students in this field. " Queen's plans to open a second, larger wave tank at its Portaferry facility later this year.