We’re very proud of our ecomagination program and the positive effects it is having right here in the oil and gas industry.

If you’ve been to this year’s Product & Solutions Fair, then you’ve likely heard about the latest GE Oil & Gas product to earn certification, the Integrated Compressor Line (ICL). A single unit can avoid annual emissions of 1,520 tons of CO2 and eliminate the use of 38,250 liters of lubricant oil every year. ICL joins the UltraScan™ Duo pipeline inspection tool, BCL sour gas compressors and hot gas expanders for power recovery systems on our ecomagination roster. In addition to our ecomagination products, environmental considerations are part of every solution we design.

The most recent example is our Power Crystal upgrade kit for gas turbines, which enables higher firing temperatures without significant impact on NOx emissions. As well, our iCenter Remote Tuning service is designed to lower emissions and ensure more reliable operations. It also reduces the on-site time, equipment and personnel requirements associated with traditional, yet less effective methods. Our Predictive Emissions Monitoring System (PEMS) for gas turbines gives operators a more cost-effective solution for regulatory compliance regarding CO, NOx and O2 emission measurement. It requires no hardware calibration or external peripheral equipment, making it ideal even for offshore applications – and easier to implement and maintain than a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System. Our Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics services cover a broad range of plant equipment. While it is primarily a performance-driven service for combustion efficiency, its shared technology also enables plant personnel to improve their emissions control practices.

Beyond individual product and service offerings, our engineering teams continuously find ways to improve environmental performance at the project/plant level. The gas may be clear and the oil may be black, but there is almost always a shade of green mixed in.

ICL gets stamp of approval

Our new Integrated Compressor Line (ICL) is the latest Oil & Gas product to pass the stringent certification process in GE’s forward-thinking ecomagination program.

Ecomagination puts into practice our belief that financial and environmental performance can work together to drive growth, while taking on some of the world’s biggest challenges at the same time.

The product line consists of centrifugal compressors directly driven by high-speed electric motors. Their closed design avoids annual leakage of 657 metric tons of CO2, while pressurized stopping capability avoids annual venting of another 863 metric tons. These two features avoid emissions equivalent to 297 US (746 EU) passenger cars over the course of one year. Active magnetic bearings eliminate the use of 38,250 liters of lubricant oil over each unit’s life which has obvious environmental and cost management benefits.

ICL provides up to 15 MW of power for a wide operating range. They that are 40-60% smaller than traditional units, eliminate nearly all external auxiliary systems for easier maintenance, and produce low noise and no emissions. The simplified design also reduces projected lifecycle maintenance costs by 40% versus a conventional compressor. So ICL is smart for business too.