GE To Supply Turbines To Kuwait, Qatar Power Projects In Contracts Worth $1.8Bn
General Electric (GE) Energy announced on 25 July it had received contracts totaling more than $1.8bn to supply 32 gas turbines and additional equipment for power plant projects in Kuwait and Qatar that will add more than 5gw of capacity to help meet rapidly growing electricity demand. Under the first of the contracts, GE will supply 20 Frame 9E gas turbines to Kharafi National of Kuwait for the Sabiya Power Station, which will add more than 2.5gw of capacity. The new power plant will be owned and operated by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water. According to GE, the Kuwait project will be “an emergency power, fast-track project”. The gas turbines will be manufactured at GE’s facilities in Belfort, France, with shipments to the project site planned for October 2007 through June 2008. The commissioning phase for the new units is expected to begin in May 2008 and be completed in September 2008. The Sabiya plant will operate in simple-cycle base load mode, initially using liquid fuel with plans to switch to natural gas when it becomes available in approximately three years.
In Qatar, GE will supply gas and steam and power plant system services for a 2gw power plant to be owned and operated by the Mesaieed Power Company and being built by Iberdrola. GE will supply six Frame 9FA gas turbines, six 330H type generators and three D11 steam turbines, to be used for combined-cycle base load and part load operation; and two Frame 6B gas turbines for simple cycle black start duties. The scope of the contract also includes additional plant equipment, technical advisory services, commissioning, performance tests and training. Under a separate contractual service agreement, GE will provide 12 years of maintenance services, encompassing two major inspection cycles. The first Frame 9FA gas turbine-generator was prepared for shipment and left the GE factory in June 2007. The first Frame 6B gas turbine-generator is expected to be shipped in July 2007 and the first steam turbine-generator in February of 2008. The plant is expected to begin producing its first gigawatt of power in July of 2008, with the full power output of 2gw planned by April of 2010. Natural gas will be the primary fuel for the power plant, with distillate as the backup.
Separately, GE with Doosan Heavy Industries will 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 (see page 17). 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 gw. 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.
