Georgia Power, alongside Mitsubishi Power, announced today that it has received delivery of the first of three new state-of-the-art simple cycle gas combustion turbines at Plant Yates in Coweta County, Georgia, about an hour southwest of Atlanta. Assembled at Mitsubishi Power’s Savannah Machinery Works facility, the turbine was transported to the site using both rail and truck, weighs nearly 350 tons, and is 50 feet long and 18 feet wide. The delivery of natural gas turbines at natural gas units at Plant Yates will feature Mitsubishi Power M501JAC combustion turbines (CTs), are the first new delivery of natural gas turbines to be added to Georgia Power’s fleet in a decade and, when all units are in service, will provide 1,300 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity for customers.
Plant Yates has long been an important source of generation for Georgia Power. As one of Georgia’s oldest generation sites, beginning commercial operation in 1950, Plant Yates was the first Georgia Power plant built to support the post-World War II economic boom. In 2014, five of the seven coal-fired units were decommissioned, with the remaining two converted to natural gas generation. With the expansion of three new units, Plant Yates continues to support the energy needs of Georgia and provide high-quality local jobs for Georgians. Increasing the size of the current plant will provide approximately 600 jobs during the construction process and add 15 permanent new jobs once completed, expanding the plant workforce to 75 full-time jobs.
Georgia Power continues to leverage strong relationships with industry partners and vendors to source the equipment and technology needed to meet the energy needs of a growing Georgia, even as demand for electrical equipment rises across the country. The new units were approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) in the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and, thanks to the efficient planning and construction timelines available for natural gas generation, are expected to be online by the end of 2027 to meet new energy demand in the state.
“At Georgia Power, we know our customers depend on us for reliable and affordable energy that is available around the clock whenever they need it at their homes or businesses,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. “We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to enhance and expand our diverse generation mix to meet the needs of customers not only today, but decades into the future. The new natural gas units at Plant Yates will be a great addition to our fleet, using existing property and infrastructure to deliver the best overall value for customers and providing exciting new investment at a plant that has been an economic driver in Coweta County for decades.”
The three advanced class gas turbines at Plant Yates will provide higher output and greater efficiency than previous generations of simple cycle CT designs. The air-cooled Mitsubishi Power M501JAC Series design provides operational flexibility by eliminating the need for steam cooling, offering a shorter start-up time of approximately 30 minutes and a lower turn down rate. As a contingency in the unlikely event that natural gas is unavailable, the units have built-in flexibility to run on oil, with on-site oil storage capability to provide reliability and resiliency benefits to the electric system. With minor future modifications, the M501JAC is also capable of using a hydrogen mix as a fuel. Blending technology continues to advance as an option across the industry in the pursuit of reduced carbon emissions, and Georgia Power is leading the way in this innovative research, recently partnering with Mitsubishi Power for a 50% hydrogen-blending project at Plant McDonough-Atkinson.
“The delivery of our M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines to Plant Yates marks an important step in supporting Georgia’s growing demand for reliable, efficient energy generation,” said Cheryl Boddiford, senior vice president of North American Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, Mitsubishi Power. “Assembled at our Savannah Machinery Works facility, these units not only reflect our long-standing partnership with Georgia Power, but also symbolize Mitsubishi Power’s commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing and skilled workforce development. We’re proud to help deliver the flexible, high-performance turbine technology that will keep Georgia powered now and in the years ahead.”
Natural Gas Supports Energy Needs of a Growing Georgia
Natural gas currently provides 40 percent of Georgia Power’s annual energy generation and has long been a bedrock fuel for the company. The company continues to work with the Georgia PSC to ensure it can reliably and economically meet the energy needs of a rapidly growing Georgia through the longstanding IRP process.
Georgia Power is investing in other existing power plants to better serve Georgia. Notably, the company has been approved for combined cycle and simple cycle upgrades on all combustion turbines at Plant McIntosh near Savannah in the 2025 IRP. These enhancements will add an additional 268-megawatts of capacity, helping to meet the projected energy demands from existing infrastructure. Read more about Georgia Power’s recently approved 2025 IRP.
Natural gas is also a part of a recent all-source RFP certification filing with the PSC. The filing includes the request to certify five new combined cycle (CC) units, totaling 3,692 MW, to be strategically located across the state to help ensure grid stability and reliability, and support the state’s economic growth in the coming years. The units are proposed to be placed at Plants Bowen, McIntosh and Wansley.
