V94.3A (SGT5-4000F / AE94.3A) gas turbine users gathered together to lead the way for a better and environmentally sound future
The GTUsers organized official V94.3A (Siemens SGT5-4000F and AnsaldoEnergia AE94.3A) Users Conference was a great success for End Users, OEMs Siemens and Ansaldo Energia and Vendors MDA, Arnold, Freudenberg, Sulzer, ITH, Faist, AdvancedValveSolutions and MACSolutions !
Record breaking participation
We broke the record again when a total of 160 power plant professionals gathered together in the beautiful Istanbul.
Opening of the Siemens Day on Wednesday
Gas turbines will be integrated part of the future power generation together with renewable energy. They represent a clean and high efficiency power required for flexible power production and grid stabilization.
Efficiency and flexibility improvements and solutions like faster startups, wider fuel flexibility (hydrogen), better full and part load efficiency, lower emissions and longer maintenance intervals played a major role in the conference.
Famous User Day
It is customary at the Gasre / GTUsers.com gas turbine end user meetings, that the first full day is dedicated to end users only.
The end user day consisted of case studies on noteworthy events and lessons learned. 
Also Users Q&A session was added in the end of the User Day where Users questions listed as part of the pre-conference questionnaire was discussed in detail.
Steering Committee member Thomas Matthew from Seabank Power Ltd was introducing the topics of the User Day Q&A session.
Few topics covered:
- Flexibility and fast startups, minimum load
- Starting reliability in cyclic mode
- Turbine upgrade experience
- Control system lifetime and upgrades performed
- Burning hydrogen and fuel LHV variations
- Stretching maintenance intervals
As can be concluded from the topics discussed, Plants are running more and many in cyclic operation bringing up new challenges in operation and maintenance of the assets.
Enecogen Plant Manager, Elmer Stolk discussed:
- recent experience on eHot Gas Path Inspection,
- precautions on handling of CrVI contaminated components and
- Steam turbine overhaul.
Vendor fair and Independent Service Provider speeches
Vendor fairs are another important and recurring thing during end user conferences. Vendors and OEMs get a lot of attention during coffee breaks and exhibition opening times.
A great number of service providers could show their capabilities to end users during vendor fair breaks.
It was not only gas turbines that were covered. The whole combined cycle shaft line was discussed in the technical sessions.
Advanced Valve Solutions Silver sponsor showed their unique valve designs providing complete tight drain valves for better isolation, better steam attemperator valves and lower pressure loss vales all improving efficiency and providing faster startup of the steam cycle.
Highlights of their presentation were:
- Take care you superheater gets steam asap.
- Install a second attemperator to separate GT and boiler
- Heat up the steam turbine as quick as possible
- Keep to boiler tight over night
- Bypass valves, stop check valve, drains and blow down valves
Gold Sponsor MD&A (former PWPS) took us into the latest repair technologies and capabilities and new parts for the F-technology engines.
OEMs get heard and challenged!
Wednesday and Thursday were reserved for the OEMs @Ansaldoenergia and @Siemensenergy including detailed technical session where end users were brought deep into latest technical improvements and enhancements. Being the most important event for V94.3A gas turbine technology OEM teams consisted top experts in all areas of Gas Turbine Combined Cycle expertise.
The power of the GTUsers.com end user platform became visible with the Q&A session, where OEMs gave detailed answers to questions that end users had posted via the GTUsers.com website prior to the conference in Istanbul. Q&A session also created a very lively discussion within end users and OEMs.
Leone Tessarini Director Global Product Management - Power Service OEM at Ansaldo Energia opened the AnsaldoEnergia Day and it’s Q&A session.
You could familiarize yourselves on dedicated products and services for V94.3A gas turbines in the Siemens and Ansaldo Energia marketplaces.
Lets take it easy after a long day
It is not only hard technical sessions. Evening programs are an important part of the conference(s). Not so formal evening events helps people to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. At the end of the day, that will also make the technical sessions to be more successful.
