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Cleaner Coal Technology Moves Forward in China

Under the terms of the agreements signed today, USTDA will fund a feasibility study that would support the advancement of commercial scale integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) facilities in China based on GE-designed IGCC technology. In this initial study phase, GE and CPECC will evaluate the cost and performance of an IGCC design.

"Coal is an abundant and low cost resource in China and the U.S. Gasification technology allows us to use it in a much cleaner way," said Steve Bolze, president & CEO for GE Power & Water. "To achieve significant reductions in carbon dioxide and other emissions, cleaner coal power generation technologies such as IGCC must be part of the solution; GE is pleased to be working with CPECC and USTDA in this important endeavor."

This follows the memorandum of understanding signed between CPECC and USTDA in November as part of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Announcements made by President Obama and President Hu in November 2009.

IGCC and carbon capture technologies have been commercially demonstrated and will need to be widely deployed to enable low cost power generation from domestic energy resources, while at the same time achieving significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions globally. Governments and industry in both the United States and China have critical roles to play in accelerating the deployment of these commercial scale IGCC facilities.

Gasification technology has become a critical tool in the expansion of the Chinese economy, allowing a wide variety of industrial products and fuels to be created from low-cost, abundant coal resources. GE's gasification technology is one of the most widely applied technologies of its kind in China, with more than 40 licensed facilities. As gasification projects in China get larger and more complex, advanced technologies such as GE's new larger scale quench gasifier and higher-pressure gasification technology will be critical to reducing overall project cost.

The United States and China are two of the largest consumers of coal for industrial applications and power generation. There is significant interest in seeing cleaner gasification technologies and IGCC with carbon capture widely deployed in a carbon-constrained environment.

GE has been at the forefront of IGCC technology for more than two decades. GE technology was involved in several milestone projects, including the pilot IGCC plant, Coolwater, in Barstow, Calif., and the Polk Tampa Electric IGCC plant in Florida that helped demonstrate the commercial feasibility of IGCC. GE also is supplying IGCC technology for Duke Energy's plant in Edwardsport, Ind., that is expected to be the world's largest IGCC facility when it comes online in 2012.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy www.ge.com/energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy - GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas - work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.

GE Power & Water
Cynthia Coleman
+1 713 803 0459
+1 832 671 4540
cynthia.coleman@ge.com
or
GE Energy
Weiqun (Lilian) Xiao
+86 10 5822 3914
+86 13 9010 28073
weiqun.xiao@ge.com
or
Masto Public Relations
Ken Darling or Howard Masto
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ge.com
howard.masto@ge.com