LONDON — Two new energy centers in London’s Stratford City and Kings Yard areas are ready to supply 10 MW of efficient power, heating, and cooling for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games as well as East London’s businesses and residential areas after the Games conclude. Three of GE’s 3.3-MW Jenbacher J620 cogeneration units are powering the energy centers and generating electricity equivalent to the amount used by 24,000 average U.K. homes.

GE said the energy center initiative is a cornerstone of London 2012’s plan to increase the use of alternative energy, water conservation, and recycling to minimize the environmental impact of the Games. The London Olympic Delivery Authority built the facilities to help reach its target of a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions while meeting the city’s power needs that are expected to surge with more than 15,000 athletes and millions of spectators arriving for the Games.

The energy centers are designed to operate in combined cooling, heating, and power — or trigeneration — mode. Chilled water is generated by absorption chillers using the high-temperature heat available from the exhaust of the unit. Combined heat and power (CHP) technologies are more efficient than using separate electrical and thermal power systems and thus helps to reduce emissions from power generation. By using this technology, GE said about 13,000 tons of greenhouse gas emission savings can be achieved.

“Our energy centers powered by GE’s gas engines are not only crucial to the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games but also for the goal of establishing a more sustainable business and residential environment throughout the city long after the Games have ended,” said Simon Wright, director of infrastructure and utilities for the Olympic Delivery Authority. “The Stratford City and Kings Yard energy centers are expected to support future commercial development in East London for at least 40 years.”

The first energy center, featuring two of GE’s J620 natural gas cogeneration modules, is located in the Stratford City development area to support various Olympic Park activities as well as commercial redevelopment in East London.

The second energy center, located at Kings Yard on the western end of Olympic Park, features one J620 cogeneration system to generate thermal power for the aquatics center’s swimming pools and other venues via the Olympic Park’s district heating network. The Kings Yard facility also will generate electrical and thermal power for other venues, homes, and buildings in the area. Both energy centers will include boilers that use natural gas as feedstock to generate additional heat to meet peak demands. The Kings Yard facility also includes a 3-MW boiler that will be fueled with wood chip biomass to generate additional heat during the winter.

“GE’s fuel-flexible Jenbacher cogeneration systems are ideally suited to support the London 2012 Olympic Games by offering the right combination of reliability, fuel flexibility, and reduced emissions that will enable the Olympic Development Authority to meet its important environmental commitments to the city of London,” said Rafael Santana, president and CEO of GE Energy’s Gas Engines business.

For more information, visit www.ge.com/olympicgames.

Publication date: 7/30/2012