Gas Turbine Modules News

GE’s Marine Solutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RJE Global, Morphettville, South Australia, whereby RJE will assemble GE LM2500 gas turbine modules and manufacture a number of components for this engine in support of the Royal Australian Navy’s new SEA 5000 frigate program. The MOU was signed by both companies recently at RJE’s facility in Adelaide. The nine-ship SEA 5000 Future Frigate Program will replace the aging Anzac class frigates. GE’s LM2500 gas turbines are operational on two of the short-listed qualified ship designs -- Fincantieri’s FREMM and Navantia’s F100.

GE Marine has received an order to supply one LM2500+G4 aeroderivative marine gas turbine to Avio Aero of Turin, Italy, a GE Aviation business. The gas turbine will power the Italian Navy’s eighth FREMM frigate. Through Avio Aero, at least 17 LM2500+G4 gas turbines are expected to provide propulsion for the Italian-French-Moroccan FREMM program, which includes eight ships each for the Italian and French navies and one ship for the Royal Moroccan Navy. Other international navies are considering the FREMM frigate for use in their fleets.

GE Marine, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced that four GE LM2500 gas turbines will soon power the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant, providing 80 megawatts for the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. Similar to the INS Vikrant itself, the ship’s propulsion plant (four LM2500 gas turbine modules) were manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.’s (HAL) Industrial & Marine Gas Turbine (IMGT) Division. Through its license with GE, HAL assembled, inspected and tested the LM2500 gas turbines and module enclosures for INS Vikrant.

GE Marine reports that its LM2500 aeroderivative marine gas turbines will be used to power the United States Navy’s new Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. GE has received orders for the initial three of an expected nine new Flight IIA ships. The new destroyers are being built as part of the U.S. Navy’s DDG 51 program. “The successful DDG 51 program already includes 57 destroyers delivered, with five additional ships under construction, all powered by GE LM2500 gas turbines. The U.S. Navy has been pleased with the performance and reliability of our engines on the Arleigh Burke class ships, as well as on the Ticonderoga class cruisers and Perry class frigates. Mean time between removal of the LM2500 gas turbines is roughly 23,000 hours, which equates to about 17 years in service.

GE Marine reports that its LM2500 gas turbines will be used to power the United States Navy’s next Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 4). GE will supply the two LM2500 gas turbine modules to Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama. Austal USA is a subcontractor to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, a General Dynamics company and the prime contractor for the General Dynamics LCS program. “The Independence (LCS 2) -- also built by Austal USA/Bath Iron Works -- features two GE LM2500 gas turbines. The keel for this vessel was laid on January 19, 2006,” said Brien Bolsinger, GE Marine general manager. The General Dynamics trimaran LCS is an agile surface combatant that can be deployed independently to overseas littoral regions…