The New York Department of Environmental Conservation went out for comment on Aug. 17 on a draft air permit approval that would allow PSEG Power New York LLC to implement upgrades at its Bethlehem Energy Center in Glenmont, N.Y.
The upgrades include Advanced Gas Path (AGP) hardware upgrades as well as installation of OpFlex Advantage Peak Load operating software on the General Electric Frame 7FA.03 combustion turbines. The units were originally permitted in 2002.
The AGP hardware upgrades involve replacement of key components of each turbine with similar components, but with advanced design and/or materials of construction. The enhanced components allow for higher firing temperatures, reduced cooling by-pass and increased air flow to the combustion chambers. The result of the upgrades are increased efficiency and decreased fuel consumption.
The OpFlex software provides additional incremental increases in combustion turbine output over base load operations. Utilization of the OpFlex software will be limited to 300 hours per year per combustion turbine.
Bethlehem Energy Center is a combined cycle plant, consisting of three combustion generating turbines burning pipeline quality natural gas and low sulfur distillate oil with supplementary-fired HRSGs, a steam turbine generator, a pipeline quality natural gas-fired package boiler, and exempt activities. The plant has a nominal generating capacity of 750 MW.
