The new motor, developed and built at GE Power Conversion’s factory in Nancy, France, has far fewer rotating parts than a comparable 75MW two-pole synchronous motor, and should therefore be more reliable. GE predicts that its uptime will be 48% higher.
The simpler design also results in a 30% smaller footprint and lower weight, offering greater flexibility when integrating the machine into existing plants.
“In the LNG industry, reliability is the name of the game,” says Ed Torres, leader of GE Power Conversion’s marine, oil and gas segment.
GE's 80MW two-pole induction motor is one of the world's largest
“A mid-size LNG facility could suffer costs of $4m a day through unplanned downtime,” he points out. “Running 99.5% of the time, electric motors are absolutely critical assets to LNG operations. I am proud to announce that our new 80MW induction motor is now ready to serve the LNG industry with unrivalled high power, reliability and efficiency.”
“Electrification has breathed new air into the energy landscape, due to its high reliability, efficiency and reduced environment footprint,” adds Azeez Mohammed, GE Power Conversion’s president and CEO. “Our latest innovation in the induction motor technology showcases yet another key milestone on the electrification journey of the LNG industry.”
