Doosan Heavy set to commercialize large gas turbine

By Joo Kyung-don

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., South Korea's top power equipment maker, said Thursday it is pushing to finalize its technologies for a large gas turbine.

The development of the turbine is about 95 percent complete, and the engine is expected to undergo an initial product inspection no later than this year, according to Doosan Heavy.

Doosan Heavy joined a government-sponsored project for gas turbines in 2013 with local universities and research institutes. It has so far invested 1 trillion won (US$837 million) in research and development (R&D), with the government providing 60 billion won.

If the company succeeds in the project, South Korea will join the United States, Germany, Japan and Italy in having its own gas turbine technologies.

South Korea currently operates 149 gas turbines, but they are all products of foreign companies like General Electric Co. and Siemens AG. The country has spent at least 8.1 trillion won buying foreign-made gas turbines, according to Doosan Heavy.

Doosan Heavy said its DGT6-300H S1 gas turbine will have a capacity of 270 megawatts and more than 60 percent combined cycle efficiency, which is enough to supply electricity to at least 250,000 households.

The gas turbines will be supplied to a power plant of the state-run Korea Western Power Co. that will go into commercial operation in 2023, it added.

Doosan Heavy said it plans to generate annual sales of 3 trillion won in the gas turbine business by 2026.

The company has been striving to make inroads into the gas turbine business. It acquired U.S. gas turbine parts repair company ACT Independent Turbo Services, Inc., now Doosan Turbomachinery Services Inc., in 2017. The company also runs R&D centers in the U.S. and Switzerland.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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