Driving Germany’s Economy: GE’s Rooftop Cogeneration System to Supply Tower of Deutsche Börse with Secure Onsite Power
ESCHBORN, GERMANY [WorldofRenewables.com]
GE (NYSE: GE) announced its Jenbacher cogeneration technology has been installed on the rooftop of the new office tower for Deutsche Börse Group in Eschborn, near Frankfurt, Germany, providing one of the world’s leading exchange organizations with a secure and efficient supply of energy.
The plant will be fueled by natural gas, a cleaner-burning alternative to other fossil fuels, to support Germany’s environmental initiatives. Surplus electricity will be sent to the regional grid to increase energy reliability for the Frankfurt area.
As part of its climate-change initiatives, the European Union (EU) has adopted several targets known collectively as its “20-20-20” goals: a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; bringing renewable energy use up to 20 percent of the total energy mix; and an overall 20 percent reduction in energy use.
To help achieve these targets, the EU is urging member states to expand the installation of combined heat and power (CHP) plants. By generating heat and power through a single system, CHP technology is more efficient than separate electrical and thermal equipment. Also, installing more energy efficient CHP plants helps reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions by displacing the need for utilities to use fossil fuels to generate electricity for the grid.
The new Deutsche Börse onsite power plant will enhance the energy security of operations that play a vital role in supporting Germany’s economy every day. This project is a prominent showcase of the progress being made by Germany’s business and government sectors to support the EU’s emissions reduction and energy efficiency goals.
The project developer, Groß & Partner and Lang & Cie, in late November celebrated the “roofing ceremony” for the 21-story building complex with the CHP plant. The plant’s two Jenbacher cogeneration units will provide 1.6 megawatts of reliable electrical and thermal (heating and cooling) power to support the building’s operations.
“The Deutsche Börse’s new rooftop CHP plant reflects the increased use of cogeneration technology to improve local energy reliability and reduce emissions for a growing variety of projects around the world,” said Prady Iyyanki, CEO—Jenbacher gas engines for GE Power & Water. “While every country has its own unique, domestic and imported energy supply profile, GE’s fuel-flexible Jenbacher gas engine technology can support CHP projects throughout the EU because the cogeneration units can use either natural gas, renewable biogases or industrial waste gases to generate onsite power.”
For the new rooftop CHP project, GE supplied project developer Wilhelm Theis GmbH with two JMS 412 Jenbacher cogeneration modules.
In warmer months, hot water from the cooling circuit of the two cogeneration plants will serve as drive energy for two absorption chiller devices. During cold seasons, this thermal power will be utilized to meet the building’s heating requirements.
The cogeneration plant is scheduled to begin commercial operation in the summer of 2010.
For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.ge.com GE is imagination at work.
For more information, contact:
Martina Streiter
GE
+43 5244 600 2470
+43 676 8944 2470
martina.streiter@ge.com
Ken Darling or Tom Murnane
Masto Public Relations
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ge.com
tom.murnane@mastopr.com