In 2017 Ansaldo Energia inaugurated its new Genoa Cornigliano production plant: a vast area for assembly of a new generation of giant gas turbines. The new plant, extending over an area of 3,500 square metres, enjoys the important benefit of being located right by the sea, so that large-scale machinery can easily be shipped to international destinations, avoiding the many logistical difficulties associated with road transportation.
The area includes four final assembly stages set up in a modular solution to satisfy the requirements of gas turbines of different sizes: large gas-fired machines such as the GT36, GT26 and AE 94.3 A can be assembled at the same time. Two large cranes are capable of lifting up to 200 tonnes, and a hydraulic lifting system facilitates loading onto trailers.
In addition to the new plant, the Ansaldo Energia production facility covers 131,000 square metres, divided into three areas, and employs about 570 people, including both office staff and highly specialised workers, with a pool of more than 800 machines, 130 of which are numerically controlled.
The Fegino area, also renovated in 2017, is where turbine rotors are processed: the plant has a high-speed cell for testing rotors, turning them at speeds higher than operational speeds in order to check for anomalies and make the necessary improvements. Fegino is also where turbine blades are processed, inspected and installed, and mechanical media for all the company's machines are prepared. The plant also has facilities for ultra-high-tech work such as electro-erosion and 3D repair of blades, performed in the HGP (Hot Gas Path) Genoa Repair Centre.
The Campi 1 area is used for assembly of medium to large turbines, assembly of combustion chambers, and processing of generator rotors, including welding, assembly and testing.
Lastly, Campi 2 is where the copper bars that make up the stator are produced, followed by construction and final assembly of generator stators. Before shipping to their final destination, the generators are tested in an on-site testing facility
