GE says four HA turbines in U.S. shut down due to blade problem

By Alwyn Scott

(Reuters) - General Electric Co said on Thursday that four of its flagship power turbines in the United States have been shut down due to a problem with turbine blades that was discovered at an electrical power plant in Texas owned by Exelon Corp.

The emailed statement to Reuters went beyond GE's acknowledgement earlier Thursday that the problem had shut down only one turbine, known as the 7HA, but was likely to affect others.

"We have 14 7HA units in service in the United States and 10 units are running and accumulating hours," GE spokesman Chris Shigas said. "The process requires an impacted turbine to be shut down for a limited amount of time. We are working with Exelon and expect the units to return to service soon."

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jeffrey Benkoe)