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Eagle Filters cleans up NYC electricity production
Finnish engineering firm Eagle Filters is supplying air intake filters for the Astoria Energy combined cycle plant in West Queens, which powers a considerable share of New York City.
After an intensive three-year study of competing air intake filter suppliers at the plant, Astoria Energy decided to install Eagle Filters on all four of its turbine units.
The Astoria Energy plant’s output is roughly 1 200 MW, and the electricity generated there serves 15–20 per cent of New York City.
“Prior to this study we utilised a lower quality filter and could experience a loss of up to 6 MW between turbine water washes,” says Michael Stockstad, manager at Astoria Energy Plant. “With Eagle Filters installed there was virtually no degradation of turbine output, resulting in significant efficiency improvements.”
The decrease in efficiency is due to the effect air impurities have on compressor blades. Better air intake filtration reduces down time of the plant, as the need to stop turbines for periodic washing is diminished.
Eagle Filters’ technology is also expected to reduce C02 emissions at Astoria Energy’s plant by 11 000 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to the energy use in 1 188 US households, or 25 467 barrels of oil consumed.
The company is a core holding of Helsinki-based Loudspring, a Finnish cleantech investment company.