GE and Harbin Electric Company Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding in which HE agreed to purchase GE's newest gas turbine featuring FlexEfficiency technology.

As part of the MOU, HE plans to purchase four 9FB gas turbines from GE before the end of 2013, including two that will incorporate FlexEfficiency technology. The purchases are subject to HE being awarded projects, most likely for district heating applications in China.

"China is installing more wind turbines than any other country in the world and has plans to rapidly expand natural gas power generation. This creates an ideal environment for our new FlexEfficiency technology. We are developing partnerships around the world to help us bring our new FlexEfficiency technology to customers across the globe. GE is excited to expand our partnership with Harbin Electric by adding to our already established relationships to bring wind turbine and gas turbine technology excellence to China," said Paul Browning, president and CEO of thermal products for GE Power & Water.

GE's breakthrough FlexEfficiency technology is engineered to deliver an unprecedented combination of flexibility and efficiency. By rapidly ramping up and down in response to fluctuations in wind and solar power, the technology will enable the integration of more renewable resources into the power grid. In addition, the high performance of the 9FB gas turbines offers great potential for meeting not only regular power but also cogeneration needs in China.

GE Energy has been active in China for more than 90 years and has provided the country with nearly 60 steam turbines and more than 160 gas turbines. In addition, GE has been providing engineering and service solutions to help Chinese customers improve the reliability and availability of their energy production and transmission assets. GE's China Technology Center in Shanghai is one of the company's four global research centers.