Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and GE Energy have signed final agreements to co-develop a "next generation" steam turbine for use in gas turbine combined-cycle power plants to help meet increasing efficiency and performance requirements. The co-development effort will focus on the design of a new, advanced steam turbine, leaving each of the parties to separately manufacture and sell the co-developed steam turbine in support of its natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power generation products.

The new steam turbine will enter commercial service coupled with the GE Frame FB and the MHI G-class gas turbine products in the 50Hz segment of the global power generation market. These gas turbine models are typically used for combined-cycle power plants in the range 850-1,000 MW.

"GE has a long history of partnering with other suppliers and manufacturers to accelerate the pace at which advanced technology products are brought to market," said Steve Bolze, president of GE Energy's Power & Water business. "Under the agreements signed, GE and MHI will share best practices and development activities to bring a next-generation, high-performance steam turbine to the combined-cycle market faster than either party could individually achieve."

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