JENBACH, Austria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE (NYSE: GE) today announced it has agreed on an important milestone of a three-year framework agreement with Gruppo AB, a European combined heat and power (CHP) project developer, to supply an innovative combination of GE’s Jenbacher gas engines and Clean CycleTM waste-heat recovery modules for agricultural biogas projects throughout Europe. The project is expected to generate more than $50 million in revenue.
“The acquisition of waste-heat recovery technology from Calnetix Power Solutions enabled GE to work together with great companies like Gruppo AB to provide innovative solutions for customers, helping to meet increased demand for power and efficiency while at the same time meeting increasingly rigorous environmental regulations,” said Rafael Santana, president and CEO—Gas Engines for GE Energy.
The project marks the largest deal for a packaged solution featuring GE’s Jenbacher biogas engines and the Clean Cycle technology since acquiring the waste-heat technology from Calnetix Power Solutions in 2010. More and more agricultural facilities seek to install modern CHP systems to support the European Union’s 20/20/20 initiative to generate 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.
“Combined heat and power is our core business, and our long relationship with GE is important to our success. The combination of GE’s innovative and reliable Jenbacher gas engines and Clean Cycle waste-heat recovery modules provides us with the advanced technology and expertise to offer our agricultural customers specifically, but in general for all biogas applications, the advanced solution to meet their needs while reducing the impact on the environment. That is a win for everyone,” said Angelo Baronchelli, founder of Gruppo AB.
For the agricultural CHP (or cogeneration) project, Gruppo AB will combine the Clean Cycle modules with Jenbacher gas engines, with each package able to generate up to 999 kilowatts (kW) of electrical power and 402 kW in thermal power. The output of the integrated system was intentionally kept under 1 megawatt (MW) because the highest feed-in tariffs in Italy are for power projects that produce less than 1 MW. This allows agricultural groups using the packaged solution to make the most use of the tariffs.
Combining GE’s Jenbacher gas engines with GE’s 125 kW Clean Cycle waste-heat recovery solution provides a powerful package that results in up to a 10 percent increase in electrical output and up to a 10 percent reduction in the biomass required for biogas CHP. The new package also achieves a lower NOx level of 450 mg/Nm3 and CO of 500 mg/Nm3. The primary source of fuel for the new package is biogas, out of pig and cow manure, corn and other crops. Increasing the energy efficiency of biogas projects helps make biogas power projects more cost-effective. The Clean Cycle system converts excess heat into additional electricity. The electricity generated from the package can be utilized for treatment plants and supplied to the public power grid.
About Gruppo AB
Founded in 1981 by Angelo Baronchelli, the AB industrial Group operates in the fields of cogeneration and the promotion of renewable energy sources. The Gruppo AB is one of the European benchmark companies with modular solutions for outdoors and stations from 100 to 10,000 kWe. Gruppo AB is headquartered in Orzinuovi (Italy) and also is present in Spain, Romania, Poland, Serbia and Croatia. More than 500 plants have been built to date, amounting to 800 MWe of installed power; more than 300 of those plants are under service contracts or directly operated. In just four years, production capacity has increased threefold and the number of employees has grown to more than 350.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil & Gas—work together with more than 90,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.