22 December 2008
MUSCAT -- GDF SUEZ, one of the world's largest utilities, aims to capitalise on its market leading position and competitive strengths to meet the growing energy requirements of the Sultanate and the wider Middle East. The Group's ambitions for the region were outlined at a special presentation made to a visiting Belgian delegation headed by Karel De Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs, last week. High-ranking executives of GDF SUEZ and its affiliates Tractebel Engineering, among others, attended the briefing.
Speaking at the event, Mario Savastano, Chief Executive Officer of SMN Barka Power Company, which owns and operates the Barka II independent water and power project (IWPP), and of Al Rusail Power Company, which has been privatised by the Government of Oman at the beginning of 2007, said GDF SUEZ was uniquely placed to support the region's burgeoning energy, environment and utility needs.
The Group's strengths lie not only in power generation and water desalination, but also in hydrocarbon exploration and production, LNG procurement, transportation and distribution, wastewater reuse and waste management, and nuclear energy. "GDF SUEZ is an international player with a growing and successful presence in the Middle East. The region offers huge business opportunities, particularly in the areas of energy and environment services. With our unique strengths and competitive advantages, we hope to further capitalise on these opportunities to grow our presence in the region," Savastano said.
In the Sultanate, GDF SUEZ is by far the biggest private investor in the country's power and related water sector. Starting with its maiden investment in the Manah power project in 1994 -- the first independent power project in the Gulf -- GDF SUEZ has since emerged as a dominant player in Oman's utility sector as well as in the region.
The Group has a 45 per cent equity stake in the Sohar IWPP comprising a 585 MW combined cycle gas turbine and 6,250 cubic metres/hour of water desalination capacity. Further, in December 2006, a consortium led by GDF SUEZ was awarded the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in the state-owned Al Rusail Power Company, which operates a 665 MW power plant at Al-Rusail.
In the biggest of its investments in the Sultanate, combined with the Al-Rusail acquisition, GDF SUEZ won a concession to construct and operate the Barka II IWPP comprising 678 MW of power and 120,000 cubic metres/day of desalination capacity. The first phase of the project came on stream in July this year, with full commercial operation set for April 2009.
Indeed, the Group's dominant presence extends across the Middle East as it oversees a combined installed power generation capacity of around 14,000 MW, 2.5 million cubic metres/day of seawater desalination capacity, and nearly 400,000 cubic metres/day of wastewater recycling capacity.
Underscoring its prominence in IWPP development, GDF SUEZ is currently implementing a sizeable portfolio of large-scale power and desalination projects around the Gulf. The list includes: Al Dur 1 in Bahrain (1,230 MW and 218,000 m3/day of water); Marafiq in Saudi Arabia (2,750 MW and 800,000 m3/day of water); Shuweihat 2 in the UAE (1,500 MW and 455,000 m3/day of water); and Ras Laffan C in Qatar (2,730 MW and 286,000 m3/day of water).
Other ventures already in operation are: Al Taweelah in the UAE (1360 MW and 380,00 m3/day of water); Al Ezzel in Bahrain (950 MW) and Al Hidd, also in Bahrain (910 MW and 410,000 m3/day of water). The Group's competitive advantages, said Savastano, stem from its choice of strong partnerships, unique know-how, custom tailored solutions, state-of-the-art engineering, innovative financial packages, and proven track record in developing, financing, building and operating power and desalination plants. Worldwide, GDF SUEZ is active across the entire energy value chain, generating revenues in excess of 74 billion Euros in 2007. Headquartered in France, the Group employs around 196,500 people around the world.
MUSCAT -- GDF SUEZ, one of the world's largest utilities, aims to capitalise on its market leading position and competitive strengths to meet the growing energy requirements of the Sultanate and the wider Middle East. The Group's ambitions for the region were outlined at a special presentation made to a visiting Belgian delegation headed by Karel De Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs, last week. High-ranking executives of GDF SUEZ and its affiliates Tractebel Engineering, among others, attended the briefing.
Speaking at the event, Mario Savastano, Chief Executive Officer of SMN Barka Power Company, which owns and operates the Barka II independent water and power project (IWPP), and of Al Rusail Power Company, which has been privatised by the Government of Oman at the beginning of 2007, said GDF SUEZ was uniquely placed to support the region's burgeoning energy, environment and utility needs.
The Group's strengths lie not only in power generation and water desalination, but also in hydrocarbon exploration and production, LNG procurement, transportation and distribution, wastewater reuse and waste management, and nuclear energy. "GDF SUEZ is an international player with a growing and successful presence in the Middle East. The region offers huge business opportunities, particularly in the areas of energy and environment services. With our unique strengths and competitive advantages, we hope to further capitalise on these opportunities to grow our presence in the region," Savastano said.
In the Sultanate, GDF SUEZ is by far the biggest private investor in the country's power and related water sector. Starting with its maiden investment in the Manah power project in 1994 -- the first independent power project in the Gulf -- GDF SUEZ has since emerged as a dominant player in Oman's utility sector as well as in the region.
The Group has a 45 per cent equity stake in the Sohar IWPP comprising a 585 MW combined cycle gas turbine and 6,250 cubic metres/hour of water desalination capacity. Further, in December 2006, a consortium led by GDF SUEZ was awarded the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in the state-owned Al Rusail Power Company, which operates a 665 MW power plant at Al-Rusail.
In the biggest of its investments in the Sultanate, combined with the Al-Rusail acquisition, GDF SUEZ won a concession to construct and operate the Barka II IWPP comprising 678 MW of power and 120,000 cubic metres/day of desalination capacity. The first phase of the project came on stream in July this year, with full commercial operation set for April 2009.
Indeed, the Group's dominant presence extends across the Middle East as it oversees a combined installed power generation capacity of around 14,000 MW, 2.5 million cubic metres/day of seawater desalination capacity, and nearly 400,000 cubic metres/day of wastewater recycling capacity.
Underscoring its prominence in IWPP development, GDF SUEZ is currently implementing a sizeable portfolio of large-scale power and desalination projects around the Gulf. The list includes: Al Dur 1 in Bahrain (1,230 MW and 218,000 m3/day of water); Marafiq in Saudi Arabia (2,750 MW and 800,000 m3/day of water); Shuweihat 2 in the UAE (1,500 MW and 455,000 m3/day of water); and Ras Laffan C in Qatar (2,730 MW and 286,000 m3/day of water).
Other ventures already in operation are: Al Taweelah in the UAE (1360 MW and 380,00 m3/day of water); Al Ezzel in Bahrain (950 MW) and Al Hidd, also in Bahrain (910 MW and 410,000 m3/day of water). The Group's competitive advantages, said Savastano, stem from its choice of strong partnerships, unique know-how, custom tailored solutions, state-of-the-art engineering, innovative financial packages, and proven track record in developing, financing, building and operating power and desalination plants. Worldwide, GDF SUEZ is active across the entire energy value chain, generating revenues in excess of 74 billion Euros in 2007. Headquartered in France, the Group employs around 196,500 people around the world.
By Conrad Prabhu
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
