Gas Turbine Alternator Installed into Aircraft Carrier

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance has completed the installation of the first MT30 Gas Turbine Alternator (GTA) package into the Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard in Scotland.

The Rolls-Royce MT30 is a 36 megawatt (around 50,000 horsepower) Marine Gas Turbine. Each 120-metric-ton GTA package consists of a GE supplied alternator coupled to a Rolls-Royce supplied MT30 Gas Turbine contained within an enclosure. Two MT30s are installed in each ship and will provide two thirds of the 109 megawatts needed to power the 65,000-metric-ton ships – enough energy to power a town the size of Swindon.

The installation involved the lifting of the MT30 gas turbine and associated ancillary equipment housed in a steel package known as the gas turbine enclosure onto the ship structure. With the enclosure in place, the large alternator, which is driven by the gas turbine to produce electrical power, was then hoisted into place. Once operational, the GTAs will supply HV power to the four propulsion motors as well as the 13 ship service transformers. These transformers distribute LV power to the weapons systems, mission systems equipment and navigation systems, as well as power to the hotel services required to run QEC.