March 6, 2015 – GE Power & Water’s Distributed Power business announced today it achieved 50.1% electrical efficiency on its 10-MW gas engine platform in a test environment in Jenbach, Austria.

“As a technology leader in the distributed power space, GE continues to invest heavily in technology and companies that provide excellent performance, output and efficiency advancements in the reciprocating engines space,” said Karl Wetzlmayer, general manager of reciprocating engines for GE Power & Water’s Distributed Power business. “50.1 percent electrical efficiency is another technology breakthrough in the reciprocating engines innovation. It constitutes a genuine historical milestone and enables us to continue to play a pioneering role in the creation of new technology.”

GE said its 10-MW Jenbacher J920 FleXtra gas engine is designed to achieve the “highest electrical efficiency level in its class.” Two-stage turbocharging technology allows stable power output and efficiency at high ambient conditions, said the company. The J920 FleXtra is also “scalable for any plant size” with its five-minute start-up time.

Distributed power is projected to grow 40% faster than global electricity demand between 2014 and 2020, said GE. The company’s Distributed Power business is comprised of several reciprocating engine and aeroderivative gas turbine product lines, including its multi-fuel gas engine technologies and a growing suite of diesel engine-generators for stationary power generation.

GE is investing $1.4 billion in distributed power technology and said it has been rapidly expanding its reciprocating engines offerings—particularly its diesel engine technologies—to meet the on-site power, heating and environmental priorities of the oil and gas sector and other key industries. In 2014, GE’s Distributed Power business introduced its new 616 diesel engine and also integrated GE Transportation’s proven 228 and 250 diesel engine technology into its diesel engine portfolio for stationary power generation.