- GE to host customer roundtables to address their needs by providing efficient power solutions in UAE, Saudi and Pakistan
- GE Aeroderivative Gas turbines Provide Summer Peak and Emergency Backup power for Libya
Distributed Power Combines ecomagination Qualified Product Lines providing faster and more efficient customer solutions
Abu Dhabi, UAE; March 24, 2014: GE (NYSE: GE) today highlighted its Distributed Power business in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at a special event held at the ecomagination Center in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
The event also marked the regional tour by Lorraine Bolsinger, President & CEO of GE's Distributed Power business, to meet GE's customers to understand their requirements, and explain how Distributed Power business can address their needs. A series of customer roundtables are being held in UAE, Pakistan and Saudi to evaluate power needs and discuss efficient solutions by GE to address them.
Meeting the growing demand for on-site power systems that are efficient, reliable and sustainable, GE's Distributed Power business is investing US$1.4 billion over four years globally and has three key product lines---Aeroderivative Gas Turbines, Jenbacher Gas Engines and Waukesha Gas Engines.
The product lines from GE's Distributed Power bring the dual advantage of assured and reliable power supply onsite as well as off-grid solutions and the ability to work with renewable energy solutions, a thrust area in several countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Algeria, among others.
GE's Distributed Power business will specifically address the increased demand for on-site power from oil and gas majors and heavy industries in the MENA region. The industrial sector accounts for a significant part of the power consumed in the region today, with overall demand for electricity projected to grow at an average of 7 per cent over the next 10 years. Increasingly, industries are relying on on-site power systems to meet their needs and accelerate operational efficiency.
The oil and gas industry relies heavily on on-site power to provide electricity to remote operations as well as mechanical power to pump and compress gas. With the growing exploration of unconventional gas in Saudi Arabia, there are significant opportunities for GE's Waukesha engines to help exploit the fuel source replacing equipment that relies on HFO in use at drill rigs.
Lorraine Bolsinger said: "GE has been a trusted partner in the progress of the region, engaging with our customers to understand their requirements and providing solutions that support them. Today, in line with the growth in the manufacturing sector and increasing demand for on-site power, delivering new power generation solutions is of critical importance to improve regional energy security.
"GE's Distributed Power is all about creating local power using local fuels for faster, flexible, scalable and more secure power generation. GE's Aeroderivative gas turbines, Waukesha and Jenbacher gas engines can be installed in weeks and generate power in as little as five minutes. GE's on-site power generation solutions will enable industries to take the pressure off the national grids, freeing more power for meeting peak load requirements. They also reduce energy losses from transmission and distribution thus delivering both economic and environmental benefits."
Strong regional footprint
GE also announced today that its trailer-mounted, mobile aeroderivative gas turbines have been chosen to help the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) to meet upcoming summer peak demand. The fast-track, US$135 million project includes four of GE's TM2500+ units, which will provide more than 100 MW of power in the expansion of Zawia and W. Tripoli power plants.
GE's Distributed Power solutions already are being deployed across several key industries and oil and gas majors in the MENA region. Offering a power range of 16 megawatts (MW) to 100 MW, GE's aeroderivative turbines are used at Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (GASCO) and Zakum Development Company (ZADCO) in the UAE; at Sonelgaz in Algeria; and Tahrir Petrochemical Industries Company in Egypt. Among others, major contracts for these turbines include contracts with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and Kuwait Oil Company. Derived from the world's most advanced aircraft engines, the aeroderivative turbines run on a variety of fuels and emissions technologies including liquids and gas.
GE's Jenbacher gas engines, which offer the flexibility to run on a number of fuels including natural gas or other gases, are currently employed in landfill-to-energy projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. The Jenbacher project in the UAE is for Dubai Municipality at the Al Qusais landfill site, which generates 1 MW (1,000 kW) of power used to operate the high-efficiency gas conversion and flare equipment installed at the site. In Saudi Arabia, six Jenbacher gas engines are used to generate energy to operate a paper mill in Al Obaikan. In Lebanon, the company is providing the energy-efficient Jenbacher engines for the country's first landfill gas-to-energy project in Naameh, set to generate 20 MW of power annually. Jenbacher engines have been installed in the Bekaa Valley area (Baalbek) and the South (Saida and Tyre) region.
GE's Waukesha gas engines, currently deployed at Kuwait Oil Company, can power a power range of 100 kW to 3.6 MW. They offer critical oilfield power generation, gas compression and mechanical drive applications and are known for durability, reliability and performance, even in harsh environments.
Distributed power has become increasingly popular in countries that are seeking more reliable, efficient energy options near the point of use---on or off the grid. According to a report by GE, distributed power will grow 40 per cent faster than global electricity demand between now and 2020. More communities and businesses are installing distributed power technologies to improve access to electricity in remote areas with poor or non-existent electric grids.
Kelly Home
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600
Mohamed Tawil
[email protected]
Caroline Wehbeh
GE Communications Leader, North Africa
[email protected]
+971 4 429 6318