GE has been awarded a landmark contract valued at nearly $1bn for the engineering, construction and provision of gas turbine services for the Waad Al Shamal combined cycle power plant of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). Scheduled for completion in 48 months, the plant will support the phosphate mining operations in the locality, in turn driving industrialization and job creation for Saudi nationals. GE will deliver the turnkey power plant, supplying four advanced GE 7F.05 heavy duty gas turbines and a GE steam turbine, and featuring solar innovation technology. The 1,390 MW combined cycle plant will be able to provide the equivalent power needed to supply more than 500,000 Saudi homes. Ziyad Al Shiha, CEO of Saudi Electricity Company, said: "We continue to strengthen the Kingdom's power infrastructure to meet the growing demand for electricity and to accelerate all-round growth. Waad Al Shamal is a strategically located power plant that has tremendous potential to energize the local economy and create jobs for Saudis through its support to the industrial sector. By awarding the contract to GE, we are further building on the long-term partnership we have with GE, with a focus on advanced technologies." One of the gas turbines will be assembled fully at the GE Manufacturing Technology Center in Dammam, underlining GE's commitment to localization. The remaining gas turbines will be produced at GE's manufacturing plant in Greenville, SC, USA, and the steam turbine will be produced at GE's manufacturing plant in Schenectady, NY, USA. Mohammed Mohaisen, president and CEO, gas power systems, Middle East and North Africa, said: "GE has been a long-term and trusted partner of SEC and we are committed to delivering our cutting edge competencies across the power sector of the Kingdom – from turnkey project development to accelerating power plant productivity and efficiency through our digital industrial solutions. Waad Al Shamal brings significant value to the Kingdom by strengthening the northern grid and through its potential to energize the local industrial sector." GE's heavy duty gas turbine technology brings industry-leading flexibility to the Waad Al Shamal plant with a 10-minute startup to an 80 percent load. It can accommodate a wide range of fuels lending greater flexibility to the operations while providing customers with lower fuel costs compared to previous GE technology. GE Power will also extend its long-term service support to the plant to ensure seamless operations. Earlier this year, GE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SEC to set up a joint venture that will extend operations and maintenance (O&M) support to SEC's power plants in the Kingdom. GE will extend its advanced technologies and train SEC staff to undertake the O&M services. Today, GE's advanced turbines support power generation in over 40 SEC sites in the Kingdom. Through GE's global exchange of knowledge, or the GE Store, GE is focused on working in true partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to quickly anticipate and meet their needs. — SG
