Siemens said it has enhanced its industrial steam turbine portfolio with launch of two new developments - the Enhanced Platform and Model SST-111 industrial steam turbine - at the 'Power-Gen Europe 2012' expo in Cologne.

The Enhanced Platform design will be deployed for Siemens industrial steam turbines with outputs between 15 and 250 megawatts (MW), said a senior official on the sidelines of the expo being held in the German city on Tuesday.

'The Enhanced Platform design concept improves more than just the efficiency and output of our turbines and their ranges of applications. We have also made considerable advances in connection with startup times and availability,' remarked Markus Tacke, the CEO of the Industrial Power Business Unit at Siemens Energy.

The new Enhanced Platform design launched by Siemens will be applied with immediate effect to its SST-600 and SST-800 industrial steam turbines and will then be introduced step by step for the SST-300, SST-400 and SST-500 steam turbines.

The design enhancements result in higher efficiency, faster startup, enhanced availability, a broader range of applications, and greater ease of maintenance.

In addition, Siemens has added a new industrial steam turbine for outputs of up to 12 MW to its portfolio: the Model SST-111. Thanks to its multicasing design, this new turbine features a high degree of operational flexibility, making it especially ideal for small decentralized power generating facilities.

'This new technology will enable us to carry on successfully defending our position as technology and market leader in the field of industrial steam turbines in the years to come,' he added.

Siemens has already received its first order for a SST-111 steam turbine from Devon County Council and Viridor Waste Management in the United Kingdom.

The new industrial steam turbines based on the Enhanced Platform design can operate with main steam pressures of up to 165 bar in combination with main steam temperatures of up to 565°C.

With the new Model SST-111 industrial steam turbine, Siemens is extending its portfolio of compact steam turbines by adding a multistage machine for outputs of up to 12 MW, said Tacke.

“With this we have developed a product that is characterized by a low acquisition and low operating costs as well as high reliability and ease of maintenance. Our first order shows that our customers are impressed with this machine and its features,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service