December 21, 2017
Congratulations to EVAPCO-BLCT as their project, Exelon's Wolf Hollow, was awarded Gas Project of the Year by the editors of Power Engineering and Renewable Energy World magazines.
Built in Granbury, Texas, Exelon’s 1,000-MW Wolf Hollow gas-fired combined cycle plant began producing power in December 2016. The Wolf Hollow plant is one of two twin facilities designed and built in Texas for Exelon by Zachry Group. At the heart of this highly efficient plant is a 7ha.02 gas turbine from General Electric. The turbine is cooled with air instead of water, and according to GE, provides the most output, highest efficiency and best operational flexibility for 60 hertz applications.
The turbine is designed to start fast, ramp up quickly and turndown efficiently. That’s important in a state like Texas, home to large amounts of intermittent wind power.
The combustion system allows the gas turbine to run at 25 percent load without exceeding emission limits. This is a valuable feature because it means the plant can remain online during times of high output from wind farms and solar arrays. In addition, the turbine can withstand high temperatures exceeding 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, increasing fuel efficiency and lowering maintenance costs.
Wolf Hollow also features some of the latest digital technologies. Its digital capabilities mean it can use real-time data to deliver better plant outcomes. By monitoring and analyzing data from more than 10,000 sensor inputs, the information enables the operator to optimize plant performance on many levels.
Wolf Hollow stands out for several reasons. In addition to producing enough electricity for 750,000 Texas homes, it does so using a tenth of the water consumed by a conventional combined cycle plant due to the air-cooled condenser supplied by EVAPCO-BLCT.