GE to open European cleaner coal center in Poland

GE Energy, a unit of General Electric Co. (GE), said Friday it will establish a European Cleaner Coal center in Warsaw to specialize in the development of clean coal technology.

The new center in Poland will, among other things, provide the U.S. conglomerate with a base for expanding the use of its integrated gasification combined-cycle technology across Europe. IGCC technology converts coal into a cleaner burning fuel, which is used in a gas turbine combined-cycle system to generate electricity.

"Because of its vast coal reserves, exceptional pool of engineering talent and its growing energy requirements, Poland is a natural location for this center," John Krenicki, GE Energy president and CEO said in a statement.

Poland is among the world's leading producers and consumers of coal, with recoverable reserves of hard coal estimated at 41 billion tons.

GE Energy, the GE subsidiary responsible for the clean coal technology, will locate the center in the same building as GE's aviation engineering design center in order to take advantage of GE aviation's expertise in engineering and developing a center.

GE currently employs approximately 5,000 people in Poland and expects to open the cleaner coal center in the next 60 to 90 days.

Company Web site: http://www.gepower.com
Source:marketwatch.com