Sohar Aluminium seals GE power services contract in Oman

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Oman - Sohar Aluminium, a landmark greenfield aluminium smelter project in Oman, said it has signed a 10-year services contract for GE Gas Power to provide repair and maintenance for its four GT13E2 gas turbines and four generators installed at its site in the sultanate.

GE Digital will also provide its Asset Performance Management (APM) software for the term of the contract, said the statement from the Omani firm.

Sohar Aluminium is a joint venture between Oman-based OQ, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and global mining giant Rio Tinto.

The four units have a generation capacity of up to 696 MW and the electricity produced is used to power Sohar Aluminium’s smelter. The solutions provided by GE are expected to enhance the reliability of the units, increase the availability of each gas turbine, decrease costs, and reduce operational risks, ultimately improving productivity at the smelter, it stated.

On the key contract win, CEO Said Al Masoudi said: “Stable electricity supply is a key input for our manufacturing processes and essential for continuous operations at Sohar Aluminium. The GT13E2 units at our site have provided critical power output since they were first installed in 2009, supporting our growth and enabling us to keep meeting customer commitments."

"Now, we are delighted to continue our collaboration with GE to maintain the sustained, reliable performance of these essential assets to support our business in the decade ahead," he added.

Sohar Aluminium’s state-of-the-art 1,000 MW power plant excels by achieving highest levels of efficiency ensuring low emissions, operating costs, and environmental impact meeting the stringent requirements set out by the local authorities.

The plant also includes a seawater pumping station for delivering cooling water as well as a desalination station to supply water to the smelter and other facilities.

Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East, and Africa said the diversification efforts through the expansion of non-oil and gas sectors are an important component of Oman Vision 2040.

Sohar Aluminium is one of the key industrial contributors in the country to realizing the aspirational goals of this plan.

"At GE, we are honored to work closely with them on their growth journey and remain committed to bringing our industry-leading solutions to Sohar Aluminium and the Sultanate to further support the national development agenda," he added.

According to Anis, GE has made strong contributions to strengthening Oman’s energy infrastructure over the decades.

This includes the delivery of the country’s first gas turbine at Al Ghubra, nine high efficiency F-class gas turbines, various power generation solutions to support Oman’s oil and gas exploration and production sectors.