First Gen EVP Jon Russell (right) greets Brian Byrne, CEO of Siemens Power Generation Service Asia, before the start of the conferenceFirst Gen Corporation on September 24, 2019 welcomed to Manila nearly 100 international delegates and suppliers to the annual Asia-Pacific Users’ Group for Siemens SGT4000F gas turbines.

Six of the gas turbines are used in First Gen’s 1,000- megawatt (MW) Santa Rita and 500-MW San Lorenzo power plants in Batangas. Their output and reliability helped supply approximately 15% of Luzon’s electricity demand throughout the critical hot season earlier this year.

“We are delighted to host an event that represents 29 members from 12 countries with 91 gas turbines and more than 33,000 MW of capacity,” Jon Russell, First Gen executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said at the opening of the gathering.

“The sharing of experiences over the next three days will enable us to help Siemens develop the next round of improvements for Santa Rita and San Lorenzo—something that can benefit consumers in the Philippines by supporting grid stability and improving competitiveness for many years to come,” he added.

Around the world Siemens has sold over 400 4000F gas turbines. Each year, owners and operators get together in a “Users’ Group” to share their experience and to hear from Siemens Gas & Power and third-party vendors about the latest improvements and developments for these machines. This year’s Users’ Group gathering ran from September 24 to September 26. (Story/Photos by: Joel Gabormi)