Rio Tinto has selected aeroderivative gas turbines technology to supply reliable power needed for iron ore production at two sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Rio recently completed  installation of GE’s ecomagination qualified LM6000-PF Sprint aeroderivative gas turbine with dual-fuel dry low emissions (DLE) technology for a new on-site power plant at its West Angelas iron ore mine in the remote Pilbara region.

The West Angelas Iron Ore Mine in Pilbara required heavy-duty, reliable and efficient sources of power to ensure uninterrupted operation, and because of the technical and logistical obstacles with adding the mine to the electrical grid, an on-site power solution was required.  The LM6000 that will be provided can deliver more than 40 MW of power at more than 40 % efficiency while maintaining 25 ppm nitrous oxide levels when running on gas fuel and 85 ppm when running on diesel fuel. The dual-fuel DLE technology which allows the operation on natural gas or diesel fuel minimises nitrous oxide emissions without the need for water injections and allows continuous operation regardless of fuel supply.

The Cape Lambert power project will be the first time GE’s LM6000-PF will be used for a combined-cycle power application in Australia. GE will supply an integrated 130-MW combined-cycle power island package featuring two GE LM6000-PF gas turbines, two once-through steam generators, a GE Oil & Gas steam turbine and balance of plant equipment. GE will supply the power island to Forge Group Power, which has the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the complete power station.

GE’s aeroderivative gas turbine and steam turbine technology also have been selected for a new combined-cyde power station that will improve off-grid power generation at Cape Lambert, a seaport used for exporting iron ore from the Pilbara mines and will improve the efficiency of Rio Tinto’s power supply infrastructure across the Pilbara region. Rio Tinto is implementing Australia’s largest-ever, integrated mining project to expand the capacity of it Pilbara operations by 50% from 237 Mt/y to 360 Mt/y by 2015.

Darryl Wilson, Vice President and Chief Commercial Offices – Distributed Power for GE Power & Water said “These two very different projects for Rio Tinto reflect the ability of the global mining industry to use our highly flexible aeroderivative gas turbine technology to support industrial on-site power and grid-support projects that promote local energy security.”