Jackson Generation Leads to North America’s First M501JAC Gas Turbines

The Jackson Generation facility, a 1.2 GW combined cycle power plant in Elwood, Illinois, has introduced North America’s first M501JAC gas turbines. Developed by J-POWER USA, the facility has emerged as a model for flexible, digitally enabled energy production in the rapidly evolving energy landscape.

Nearly a decade ago, PJM Interconnection, one of the largest and most dynamic organized wholesale energy markets in the United States, began operating signal A capacity crisis is approaching. Despite facing higher-than-expected demand forecasts, the utility has begun preparing for the potential retirement of up to 20% of its coal-fired fleet in line with federal Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). Also in Illinois six nuclear power plantsTotal capacity of approximately 12 GW has begun to show signs of economic struggle against the dramatic decline in wholesale spot market prices, largely due to low natural gas prices. As PJM prepares for the rapid growth of renewables, largely supported by the Renewable Portfolio Standards and other regulatory policies, the market has increasingly demonstrated that it is ripe for new, highly flexible gas-fired power plants.

At the time, it was J-POWER USA Development Co., a U.S.-based development arm wholly owned by Tokyo, Japan-based Electric Power Development Co. Ltd. (J-POWER), Elwood EnergyIt is a 1.3 GW power plant consisting of nine GE 7FA turbines, which started operating in 1999. Located in Will County, Illinois, near Chicago, Elwood performs as one of PJM’s largest peaks. “We purchased land in and around Elwood Energy years ago with the idea of ​​some future development,” said Ryan Kozey, Director of Construction and Asset Optimization for J-POWER USA. “We started initial development work (between 2013 and 2015) and it became clear that this was the right point for our next big initiative as a company.”

Kozey explained that Elwood Energy’s proximity was a key factor in the decision to develop Jackson Generation nearby because it provides access to critical interconnect infrastructure with ComEd. Equally important was the plant’s location close to three natural gas suppliers (ANR, Northern Border and Alliance). Although connecting suppliers required a significant infrastructure investment, it was in line with J-POWER’s strategy to provide fuel flexibility and long-term resilience for Jackson Generation.

We are Pioneering a New Gas Turbine Model in North America

The new project progressed rapidly. But instead of developing a run-of-the-mill 1,200 MW combined cycle power plant, the J-POWER USA team took extraordinary steps to pioneer a new model of gas turbine technology in North America.

At the heart of the Jackson Generation plant is Mitsubishi Power’s M501JAC gas turbine, an improved air-cooled configuration of the Japanese company’s original steam-cooled J-series design. In July 2019, when Mitsubishi Power announced J-POWER USA’s order for two 1-of-1 M501JAC powertrains, they were the 62nd and 63rd J-Series gas turbines ordered worldwide. The turbine model has inherently learned from rigorous validation at Mitsubishi Power’s grid-connected T-Point 2 facility in Japan. However, Jackson Generation’s two M501JAC turbines would be the first turbines produced at Mitsubishi Power’s Savannah Machinery Works in Pooler, Georgia, which opened in 2010. For Mitsubishi Power, the order represented an important starting point to showcase its technology developed specifically for the exceptional flexibility and efficiency demanded by emerging markets such as PJM.

Kozey stated that flexibility is a top priority for J-POWER. One of the key selling points was Mitsubishi Power’s TOMONI Very Low Load (VLL) technology; This technology enables each 1-to-1 powertrain to operate at less than 25% of full load while maintaining emissions compliance. “That was probably one of the biggest marketable elements out there, being able to operate at even lower loads at times – below the minimum emissions compliant load (MECL),” he said.

1. Digitalization plays a crucial role at the 1.2 GW Jackson Generation power plant in Illinois, enabling optimal plant operations and real-time response to grid demands. Shown here is Operations Manager Corbin Shanklin and Control Room Operator Eugene Mykhailenko examining distributed control system screens. Courtesy: Jackson Generation

In addition, Jackson Generation’s plant design included two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) designed and supplied by a steam generation specialist. John Cockerill Energy. These triple-pressure plus reheat HRSGs are built with a modular chassis, a design perfected on large cogeneration and combined cycle projects in Canada and Pennsylvania. “The HRSG features a gas turbine flow correction device and multi-stage carbon monoxide (CO) catalysts to maximize CO and volatile organic compound destruction,” said John Cockerill. STRENGTH. “The duct burner is a typical design. The selective catalytic reduction system is designed to kick in quickly to offset nitrogen oxide emissions early during gas turbine startup. The HRSG itself is mechanically designed for over 300 start/stop cycles per year.”

These features endowed Jackson Generation with an exceptionally low heat rate for each of its 435 MW gas turbines. “Even with duct firing, we are sitting around the lowest level (6,400 to 6,600 Btu/kWh) at base load,” said Matt Wrightsman, Jackson Generation plant engineer. STRENGTH. “So this shows that the economy is good,” he said. “Your 7Fs are just under (7,000 Btu/kWh), so when you compete with them at the city gate with the same gas price, it makes them more palatable to the market to make us work a little bit more with more margin.”

But building the Jackson Generation facility was not without its challenges. The biggest disruption came from the Covid-19 epidemic. “We faced a lot of challenges in mid-2020 and probably into mid-2021 in terms of keeping the workforce and guys working in the field,” Kozey said.

The project adhered to a tight three-year construction schedule, largely helped by a unique contract signed by engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) contractor Kiewit, J-POWER and Mitsubishi Power. “We managed to overcome the unprecedented challenges of building the facility during a global pandemic thanks to consistent, open communication and comprehensive site safety measures,” said Thomas Struchtemeyer, Kiewit project manager. “Working together, we achieved a timely and successful entry into commercial operation, effectively reducing the impact and challenges associated with supply chain and logistics.”

Adapting to a Changing Role

As another key foresight measure to ensure Jackson Generation performed as designed, J-POWER also hired key personnel from the plant operators more than a year ahead of the plant’s scheduled opening. This significant effort has enabled the team, which today consists of just 27 full-time employees, to become intimately familiar with the 1,200 MW facility’s systems and procedures, according to Corbin Shanklin, the plant’s operations manager.

“Whenever they developed a new system or brought a technical field consultant into the field to commission a system, they always had a couple of guys with them to take notes, kind of pick their brains, ask questions,” he explained. “And from there we built our procedures early in the commissioning phase. The operations team ultimately created a detailed set of operating documentation for the plant’s equipment, the first of its kind, including, for example, shutdown procedures, preventive maintenance checklists, spare inventories, and technical notes for operating the air-cooled condenser for optimized winter operations.

While this accumulated knowledge is valuable in training new facility personnel, it has also proven important for other new M501JAC installations. “For example, we created our own procedure to shorten that time by 24 hours or so to get the unit into spin-up phase (I think it was 90 hours or so). We sent it to Mitsubishi Power, got them to approve it, and now Mitsubishi uses it for all their other 501JAC plants,” said Shanklin. .

We Are Preparing for a Thriving Future

Today, those efforts are yielding even greater benefits as Jackson Generation’s role evolves to align with PJM’s market dynamics. “This is definitely not just a baseload facility. We do some sedentary cycling, and it depends on what the wind is doing,” Shanklin explained. “Last year in August, I think we ran each unit about 20 times. This year, so far, we’ve been running mostly non-stop in July and August, with a few bike rides here and there “We are doing it,” he said. Shanklin said operating the facility with an extraordinary level of operational flexibility and agility, despite its massive 1,200 MW capacity, benefited from the talents of its highly skilled and dedicated team. “It’s like having something the size of a school bus but maneuvering it like a motorcycle.”

The facility’s digital systems and control technologies also significantly increase its flexibility and help it keep pace with changing demand patterns and regulatory requirements, Wrightsman said. “The way it is set up with digitization and feedforward allows us to meet grid demand,” he explained. “Even if prices are low, we can benefit from ancillary services thanks to our control over these turbines.”

As market demands evolve as the energy landscape continues to further transform and decarbonization gains momentum, J-POWER is working proactively to ensure the long-term viability and adaptability of the Jackson Generation facility. “We are exploring the hydrogen aspect of Jackson,” Kozey said, noting that the M501JAC turbines are currently capable of co-firing a mixture containing 30% hydrogen. He said J-POWER is already working with suppliers and assessing the infrastructure needed to bring hydrogen to the site in the future.

Jackson’s profitability in the lucrative market in February 2023 attracted a lot of attention and recently earned him a new partner: the Thai energy giant Gulf Energy Development Plc. GULF in February 2023 Bought 49 percent shares of the factory For $409.6 million. “This investment in Jackson Generation can be considered as GULF’s first step into the US energy market,” said GULF finance chief Yupapin Wangviwat. “J-POWER has been a strong partner of the GULF for over 20 years and has co-invested in natural gas power projects under the Gulf JP group, including some of the Gulf’s oldest independent power producer (IPP) projects,” he said.

“With our long experience of developing gas-fired power projects in Thailand, we are confident that we can contribute our expertise and technology to successfully manage the Jackson Generation project with J-POWER. Additionally, as electricity demand in the U.S. continues to grow, GULF sees an opportunity to develop other energy projects and is also evaluating the potential for additional investment with various partners, including J-POWER, which has a number of renewable energy projects in development. USA”

—Sonal Patel He is senior editor of POWER (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).