Ansaldo Energia has successfully completed an MXL3 upgrade of the gas turbine at the Combigolfe Power Plant (owned by ENGIE Flexible Generation), located in in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France. The project introduced significant improvements in efficiency, performance, and sustainability.
Key outcomes of the upgrade included a 31 MW increase in power output and a 2.3% improvement in gas turbine efficiency, contributing to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Also, the upgrade enabled a 45% hydrogen co-combustion capability which, the company says, has the potential to lower emissions by up to 20%.
The project involved over 110 specialists from Ansaldo Energia in addition to workers from 20 companies across 10 countries. Key features of the MXL3 upgrade include enhancements to the GT26 combustion chamber, a partially redesigned compressor with new high-pressure parts, improved turbine insulation, and the adoption of H-class standards to improve performance under demanding operational conditions.
The MXL3 upgrade is compatible across the whole GT26 fleet. Its flexible operation modes (M and XL modes) let operators switch online between “optimized performance” or “optimized maintenance cost” profiles. Maintenance intervals are extended to 40,000 Equivalent Operating Hours.
