WEINHEIM – Freudenberg Filtration Technologies has been awarded the air filtration contract for a new turbine which will supply half a million Italian households with their electricity.
From October 2021, Ansaldo’s new H Class GT 36 gas turbine will start supplying electricity at the Edison power plant in Porto Marghera near Venice. Once fully operational, the combined cycle power plant will achieve an output of 780 MW and will be able to supply up to 500,000 households with electricity on a permanent basis.
It is believed to be the most powerful turbine ever produced in Italy and also makes the thermoelectric power plant the most efficient of its kind in Europe reducing CO2 emissions by more than 40% and NOX emissions by more than 70 percent – resulting in a reduced environmental footprint for the region.
Freudenberg Filtration Technologies has designed a three-stage intake air system that is specifically adapted to the conditions at the site. Regardless of whether humid and salty air from the sea or fine dust from the industrial park is being drawn in, the GT 36 turbine is fully protected. This is ensured by the new system which consists of upstream pocket filter elements and two cassette filter stages with especially high separation efficiency
Intake air filtration is extremely important in modern power plants, the company stresses, because if moisture and dust get into the turbines, the blades become increasingly dirty and reduce plant efficiency. This results in more frequent maintenance shutdowns. The more effectively the air is filtered, the more stable the power supply from the turbine. This is particularly relevant if half a million households have to be supplied.
The new the air filter solution will pay off for operators in the long term. Reduced fouling on the turbine blades and minimized corrosion, which particularly affects plants near the sea, significantly reduce maintenance costs. With the three-stage filter system produced in Italy and Germany, the power plant operator Edison will receive a high-performance, sustainable filtration solution that ensures the highest possible turbine efficiency.
