A new natural gas turbine has been delivered to Georgia Power's Plant Yates, marking the first addition of its kind to the company's fleet in a decade.
Georgia Power has received the first of three new, state-of-the-art simple cycle gas combustion turbines at its Plant Yates facility in Coweta County. The delivery, a collaboration with Mitsubishi Power, marks the first new natural gas project for Georgia Power in over a decade and is set to substantially increase the plant’s generation capacity.
The new turbines, which are Mitsubishi Power M501JAC combustion turbines, were assembled at the company’s Savannah Machinery Works facility. Transported by a combination of rail and truck, the first turbine weighs nearly 350 tons and measures 50 feet long and 18 feet wide. Once all three units are in service, they will add a total of 1,300 megawatts (MW) to Georgia Power's generation fleet, providing a crucial boost to the state's energy infrastructure.
Plant Yates has a long and storied history as a key source of power for Georgia. Established in 1950, it was the first Georgia Power plant built to support the post-World War II economic boom. While five of its seven original coal-fired units were decommissioned in 2014, the remaining two were converted to natural gas. The current expansion builds upon this legacy, using existing property and infrastructure to deliver a cost-effective solution for customers. This project is also expected to create approximately 600 construction jobs and 15 permanent new jobs, bringing the plant’s full-time workforce to 75.
The new M501JAC turbines are recognized for their advanced technology, offering higher output and greater efficiency compared to earlier simple cycle designs. A key feature is the air-cooled design, which eliminates the need for steam cooling and allows for a rapid start-up time of just 30 minutes. This operational flexibility is a major advantage for meeting fluctuating energy needs.
In a move to enhance system reliability, the new units are also designed to be "dual-fuel capable," able to run on oil as a contingency in the unlikely event of a natural gas shortage. This built-in resiliency is a critical component of ensuring consistent power supply. Looking to the future, the M501JAC turbines are capable of using a hydrogen fuel mix with minor modifications. This aligns with Georgia Power’s recent partnership with Mitsubishi Power on a 50% hydrogen-blending project at Plant McDonough-Atkinson.
