GE Energy's Jenbacher CHP Systems To Help Power German Auto Manufacturer Sites
Jenbach, Austria - GE Energy has been awarded the contract to supply two natural gas-fueled Jenbacher cogeneration systems that will be used to support production work at auto manufacturer BMW Group's light alloy foundry in the town of Landshut, about 47 kilometers northeast of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany.
GE is supplying two Jenbacher JMS 420 GS-N.LC units for efficient combined heat and power (CHP) supply on-site. The Jenbacher CHP systems allow for primary energy savings of about 40%, each providing an electrical and thermal output of 1.41 megawatts (MW) and 1.37 MW, respectively. The electrical efficiency of the two modules is 42.3% and the thermal efficiency is 41.3%, creating a total efficiency of 83.6%. Waste heat from the systems' operation will be used entirely to support the internal heating requirements and production operations. The Jenbacher engines will be installed at the foundry in July 2007, with commissioning set for September 2007.
The Jenbacher systems will optimally fulfill the high quality standards of the auto manufacturer within the light alloy foundry. With the option of running the modules also on island mode, the gas engines will ensure much needed production quality in the event local grid service is interrupted.
"We are proud that GE's Jenbacher gas engines have been selected to support BMW's tradition of manufacturing excellence," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. "The project illustrates the capabilities of Jenbacher engines to provide a highly reliable and efficient on-site power supply to help industrial and commercial operators meet their production goals while controlling operational costs."
GE's Jenbacher business has supported BMW Group's European manufacturing operations for the past 25 years. In 1982, the auto manufacturer installed six Jenbacher engines at its engine component facility in Steyr, Austria.
The Landshut light alloy foundry is an integral part of the BMW Group's global production network, serving as the company's only facility that manufactures alloy casting of light metal cast cylinder heads and crankcases for BMW engines and producing more than 1.5 million engine components annually. Additionally, about 3,300 employees at the auto manufacturer's Landshut site produce dashboards, bumpers, plastic components for interiors and exteriors as well as cardan shafts and exchange engines.
SOURCE: GE Energy