China's G15 Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine: From "Catching Up" to "Leading the Way"

China's G15 Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine: From "Catching Up" to "Leading the Way"The development of the 6F gas turbine marked China's first step in the field of heavy-duty gas turbines. While it still had technological shortcomings, it laid a valuable foundation for future development

China's G15 Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine: From "Catching Up" to "Leading the Way"

In March 2024, Sichuan, China, witnessed the official commercial operation of the second-generation heavy-duty gas turbine G15, entirely developed domestically. This landmark event signifies China's leap from "catching up" to "leading the way" in the field of heavy-duty gas turbines.

Looking back at the development of China's heavy-duty gas turbines, we see a story of China's industrial transformation from weakness to strength, from imitation to innovation. In the early days, China had a weak industrial foundation and lagged behind in technology, leaving it practically blank in the realm of heavy-duty gas turbines. To develop the economy and improve people's lives, we had to invest huge sums of foreign exchange to import equipment and technology. However, due to their own interests, developed Western nations imposed strict technology blockades on China, excluding us from the core technology circle.

Faced with Western technological blockades and market monopolies, China did not submit. Instead, we chose self-reliance and hard work. From introducing, digesting, and absorbing technology, to joint design and manufacturing, and eventually to independent research and development, China has paved a thorny yet glorious path in the development of heavy-duty gas turbines.

The development of the 6F gas turbine marked China's first step in the field of heavy-duty gas turbines. While it still had technological shortcomings, it laid a valuable foundation for future development. In 1992, the 7F heavy-duty gas turbine project was launched. After years of efforts, we finally built our own 7F, breaking through the Western technological blockade and mastering the core technology of heavy-duty gas turbines. This provided strong support for the development of China's power industry.

Entering the 21st century, with China's rapid economic development and continuous technological advancements, China's research and development efforts in the field of heavy-duty gas turbines accelerated significantly. A series of world-leading heavy-duty gas turbines, such as the 9HA and 9FBIA, emerged one after another, marking China's entry into the ranks of the world's leading players in this field.

In August 2018, China successfully rolled off its sixth completely domestically developed 9HA gas turbine. But this was not the end. We set our sights on Lockheed Martin's F-class heavy-duty gas turbine, which boasted the most advanced FBIA sample data and was one of the top gas turbines in the world at the time.

Finally, the G15 heavy-duty gas turbine emerged. This gas turbine, completely independently developed in China, not only achieved world-leading performance but also broke the long-standing monopoly of Western nations in this field.

G15's success is inseparable from the dedication and hard work of generations of Chinese researchers. They overcame numerous difficulties, surmounted countless technical challenges, and ultimately achieved groundbreaking progress.

So, what makes the G15 heavy-duty gas turbine so special?

The G15 offers several technological advantages:

• World-leading power generation efficiency: The G15 boasts a thermal efficiency of 60.75%, making it one of the most efficient gas turbines in the world. It can generate electricity to meet the daily needs of 2,500 households per hour.

• Ultra-long service life: The G15 can operate continuously for 360,000 hours, equivalent to 40 years, far surpassing similar foreign products.

• Clean and environmentally friendly: The G15 can be coupled with clean electricity sources, reducing carbon emissions by 150,000 tons per year, equivalent to planting 8 million trees.

These technological advantages make the G15 highly promising for a wide range of applications. Besides power generation, the G15 can also be used in aerospace, shipbuilding, petrochemicals, and many other fields.

The birth of the G15 is not only a testament to China's technological strength but also a symbol of "Made in China" entering the world stage. The emergence of China's G15 heavy-duty gas turbine has quickly attracted global attention. Those who once imposed technology blockades on China and attempted to curb its developmentcan they remain indifferent now? It's impossible to say they feel nothing. The appearance of the G15 has shattered their monopoly in the field of heavy-duty gas turbines and shown the world the true strength of China's scientific innovation and high-end manufacturing.

In the past, they often hyped up the "China threat theory," fearing that China's development would threaten their interests. Now, the emergence of the G15 has made them feel the pressure firsthand. But what's coming will come. China's development is unstoppable by any force. The success of the G15 is the ultimate proof of China's continued rise and its journey towards the center of the world stage.

The successful development of the G15 heavy-duty gas turbine is the result of tireless efforts by generations of Chinese researchers and showcases the immense potential of China's scientific innovation. Looking back, China has gone through a process of lagging behind, catching up, and eventually surpassing in many areas. We once envied others' advanced technology and were constrained by technology blockades. But the Chinese people never gave up their determination to innovate independently. We believe that only by mastering core technology can we truly control our own destiny.

After decades of hard work, China has achieved a series of remarkable breakthroughs in aerospace, high-speed rail, 5G communication, artificial intelligence, and other fields, breaking Western technology monopolies and changing the global technological landscape. The birth of the G15 is another showcase of China's technological strength and foreshadows China's transformation from "follower" to "leader" in more and more areas.

The successful development of the G15 heavy-duty gas turbine holds significant importance for China's energy development and offers new options for global energy transformation. Currently, the global climate change situation is severe, and developing clean energy and reducing carbon emissions have become a consensus in the international community. As an efficient and clean energy technology, the G15 holds immense potential in driving energy transformation and addressing climate change.

China always adheres to the community of shared future for mankind and actively participates in global climate governance, promoting the development of a fair, equitable, and cooperative win-win global climate governance system. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries around the world, sharing the development results and application experience of the G15 to jointly promote global energy transformation and sustainable development.

The future of the G15 is full of opportunities and challenges. We will continue to increase research and development investment, break through more technological bottlenecks, and continuously improve the performance and reliability of the G15. At the same time, we will actively expand the application fields of the G15 and let it play a more significant role in more areas.

The G15 is just the beginning. China's scientific innovation will never stop.

References:

Observer Network: New Breakthrough! China's First Independently Developed 15 MW Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Rolls Off the Production Line

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