GE says it is launching a global Powering Efficiency Center of Excellence (COE), which it says will bring together experts in its energy businesses to apply hardware and software solutions to boost the efficiency of new and existing coal-fired power plants and reduce their emissions.

The unit's initial focus is in India due to the country’s explosive energy demand projections, GE says.

The overall efficiency of India's existing power plant fleets, particularly the country’s aging coal-fired plants, is still relatively low. GE says the first project is with India’s largest utility, NTPC Limited.

GE will help increase the efficiency of three, 200 megawatt (MW) Ansaldo steam turbines installed more than 30 years ago at the Ramagundam Super Thermal Power Plant in the state of Telangana. GE will help NTPC improve the efficiency of each steam turbine by up to 14%, increase plant output by approximately 30 MW, and cut its carbon footprint by approximately 5%.

The project includes an enhanced steam path upgrade to help NTPC boost the efficiency and output of its power plant.

GE says the COE aligns with its recent study that found carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the world’s steam fleet can be reduced by 11% when existing hardware and software solutions are fully applied. Coal-fired power generation provides electricity for about 40% of the world. It also accounts for nearly 75% of the electricity sector’s carbon emissions because many plants are older and inefficient.

The newest coal plants being built using so-called "ultra-super critical" technology can deliver up to 49% efficiency rates, GE says. That is higher than the global average of 33%.