Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat- – GE Energy has received contracts totaling more than $1.8 billion to supply 32 gas turbines and additional equipment for power plant projects in Kuwait and Qatar that will add over five gigawatts of capacity to help meet the Middle East’s rapidly growing demand for electricity.
“To support the region’s dynamic growth, the Middle East urgently needs to increase its power and water capacity,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s region executive for the Middle East. “With one of the industry’s broadest technology portfolios, and our global resources and experience, GE Energy is well-positioned to help the region meet these requirements.”
Under the first of the new contracts announced today, GE will supply 20 Frame 9E gas turbines to Kharafi National of Kuwait for the Sabiya Power Station, which will add more than 2.5 gigawatts of power capacity for the State of Kuwait. The new power plant will be owned and operated by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity & Water.
In the second project, GE will supply gas and steam and power plant system services for a two-gigawatt power plant in Qatar – the largest such facility in the country and among the largest in the Middle East. Owned and operated by the Mesaieed Power Company Limited of Mesaieed, Qatar, the new plant is being built by Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion S.A.U. of Madrid, Spain.
The third project, also in the Mesaieed Industrial City of Qatar, is a turnkey project in which GE will lead a consortium with Doosan Heavy Industries and provide four 9FA gas turbines and two steam turbines to Qatalum for a new combined-cycle power plant that will generate power for the first aluminum smelter in Qatar. This will also be the first smelter in the entire region using F technology.
This project also includes training and a separate contractual service agreement covering maintenance services. Doosan’s scope in the project includes the heat recovery steam generator, as well as the engineering, procurement and construction of the new power plant. The primary fuel source is natural gas and total plant output will be approximately 1.25 gigawatts.
The four 9FAs are planned to be shipped in late 2008 and testing is expected to start in September 2009. The start-up will be gradual according to the growth in the smelter power demand. Full commercial operation is planned for mid-2010.
Manufacturing of the gas turbines will be at GE Energy’s facility in Greenville, S.C., and the steam turbines will be built in Schenectady, N.Y.
“These new projects in Kuwait and Qatar reinforce GE’s already strong presence in the Middle East, as more than 50% of the installed thermal power in the region is based on GE technology,” said Steve Bolze, President, power generation for GE Energy. “For example, in recent months we have announced commitments totaling nearly $2 billion to supply gas turbines that will add 6.3 gigawatts of power in Saudi Arabia.”
With the latest series of orders in Kuwait and Qatar, GE Energy now has received orders and commitments totaling more than $3.5 billion for Middle East projects since December 2006.