Berlin, Germany – November 2026 – Siemens Energy has announced a 15% increase in gas turbine efficiency and 28% lower fuel costs after deploying the ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 control module at its 450MW combined-cycle power plant in Berlin. The upgrade, completed in Q4 2026, addressed critical operational gaps in the plant’s aging control system—where legacy modules struggled with slow load response and inefficient combustion, costing the company €1.9 million annually in wasted fuel.
The Challenge: Slow Response and Combustion Inefficiency
Prior to adopting the ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102, Siemens Energy’s Berlin plant faced three core hurdles:
- Low Load-Following Speed: Legacy control modules took 120 seconds to adjust turbine output to grid demand changes, leading to 8% of generated energy being rejected during peak load periods.
- Inefficient Combustion: Poor fuel-air mixing control resulted in a 92.3% combustion efficiency rate, wasting 7.7% of natural gas input as unburned emissions.
- Frequent Maintenance Shutdowns: The old modules required bi-annual calibration, causing 72 hours of annual downtime and €288,000 in lost production.
“Gas turbines in combined-cycle plants need control systems that balance speed, efficiency, and reliability—our legacy modules were falling short on all three,” said Markus Weber, Siemens Energy’s Power Plant Operations Director. “We needed a solution that could optimize combustion in real time while responding faster to grid fluctuations.”
ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102: The Smart Control Core for Gas Turbines
After testing competitors from Emerson and Honeywell, Siemens Energy selected the ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 for its turbine-specific optimization, rapid response, and seamless integration:
- 15ms Load Response: Advanced adaptive control algorithms adjust fuel flow and air intake in 15ms—8x faster than legacy modules—eliminating load rejection.
- Combustion Optimization: Real-time monitoring of exhaust gas composition (NOx, CO) and dynamic fuel-air mixing control boost combustion efficiency to 98.6%.
- Rugged Industrial Design: IP67-rated housing, high-temperature tolerance (-40°C to +85°C), and vibration resistance (up to 5g) withstand turbine compartment conditions.
- Predictive Maintenance: Integrated sensors track module health and combustion chamber wear, sending alerts via ABB Ability™ platform 8–10 weeks before potential issues.
- Seamless Compatibility: Works with Siemens SGT5-4000F gas turbines and existing DCS systems, requiring no software overhauls—installation took just 6 hours per turbine.
Results: Quantifiable Efficiency and Cost Savings
Six months post-deployment, the Berlin plant achieved transformative results:
| Metric |
Before ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 |
After ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 |
Improvement |
| Combustion Efficiency |
92.3% |
98.6% |
6.3 Pts Increase |
| Load Response Time |
120ms |
15ms |
87.5% Reduction |
| Annual Fuel Costs |
€8.2M |
€6.0M |
26.8% Savings |
| Maintenance Downtime |
72 Hrs/Year |
18 Hrs/Year |
75% Reduction |
| NOx Emissions |
75 mg/Nm³ |
42 mg/Nm³ |
44% Reduction |
“The PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 has redefined gas turbine control,” Weber said. “We’re burning less fuel, emitting less, and responding to grid demands in real time. The predictive maintenance feature alone has saved us two unplanned shutdowns this year.”
Anna Schmidt, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Turbine Controls, emphasized the module’s role in energy transition: “Gas turbines are critical for balancing renewable energy grids—they need control systems that are fast, efficient, and reliable. The PPD539A102 series delivers on all fronts, helping operators decarbonize while improving profitability.”
Siemens Energy plans to deploy the ABB PPD539A102 3BHE039770R0102 across 6 more combined-cycle plants in Germany and France by 2028, targeting a group-wide 12% reduction in fuel costs.
