Mitsubishi Power Systems Ships First U.S. Manufactured Gas Turbine From New Savannah Machinery Works

POOLER, Ga., Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In what Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. (MPSA) is describing as a historic corporate milestone, the first commercial M501GAC gas turbine has been shipped from Savannah Machinery Works just 18 months after the $325 million gas turbine manufacturing and service facility was dedicated.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121010/NY90856)

This marks the first of three M501GAC gas turbines and one steam turbine that will be delivered to Dominion Virginia Power (Dominion) for the Warren County Power Station in Front Royal, Virginia.  The 1,300 megawatt power station will supply electricity for 325,000 homes during peak demand.  Dominion projects that the power station will save Northern Virginia ratepayers over $100 million in fuel costs during its first year of operation.  

Earlier this year, MPSA received a second order from Dominion to supply three gas turbines and one steam turbine for the Brunswick County Power Station in Southern Virginia.

The M501GAC gas turbine is the latest generation of Mitsubishi's proven M501G gas turbine design first introduced in 1997. Globally, 58 M501G and M701G gas turbines are in operation and have accumulated over 1.7 million hours of successful operation. The air-cooled M501GAC gas turbine offers increased power, greater starting flexibility, and higher thermal efficiency than previous models. Each advancement in design has been tested and verified at full load at Mitsubishi's own T-Point power plant to ensure systems perform as designed. This process of testing new designs under live conditions separates Mitsubishi from its competitors and has been key to the M501G series gas turbine leading its class for reliability and availability metrics as measured by an independent monitoring firm.

A ceremony was held at the Savannah Machinery Works, featuring Mitsubishi and Dominion executives, to commemorate the facility's first gas turbine shipment. The gas turbine will be rolled out by specialized train cars for delivery to the Warren County Power Station.

MPSA President Koji Hasegawa stated, "This first gas turbine shipment from the Savannah Machinery Works is a sign of manufacturing excellence in our nation's energy industry. Mitsubishi innovation, a workforce that is second to none, and a facility that meets the highest standards of quality in manufacturing and service will ensure that Dominion will be able to meet the needs of its customers for decades to come."

Since breaking ground in May 2011, MPSA has moved forward with an aggressive construction schedule for Savannah Machinery Works.  MPSA has completed construction of a gas turbine component manufacturing area, a service and manufacturing center for turbine rotors, generators, and stationary equipment, and a gas turbine assembly area.  When fully complete, the facility will total 500,000 square feet and employ over 500 people.  

About Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc.
Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. (MPSA) was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida with key operations in Orlando, FL, Savannah, GA, Newport Beach, CA, and Houston, TX. MPSA provides a wide variety of products and services for the electric power generation industry including gas, steam, wind and geothermal turbines, boilers, and selective catalytic reduction systems.  The company's ultimate parent is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), a diversified Fortune "Global 150" company with more than $30 billion in annual revenues and 40,000 employees worldwide. MHI is an international leader in the design and supply of energy, aerospace, machinery, transportation, and environmental systems and equipment.

SOURCE Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc.