Shorter Installation Cycle of GE Jenbacher Engines Key to Helping Reduce Rolling Blackouts in Pakistan
JENBACH, Austria--25 November 2008-- Delivering on a commitment to reduce the number of rolling blackouts in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, the new management of the utility Karachi Electric Supply Company Limited (KESC) has ordered 64 of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines to supply 180MW of urgently needed power to the local grid. The milestone contract was signed November 22.
Karachi has been facing an average daily shortage of 500MW in electricity, forcing KESC to impose rolling blackouts called "load shedding" to prevent the city's grid from being further overwhelmed. To reduce the need for load shedding during the daytime, KESC is installing 64 of GE's J620 natural gas-fueled engines in two power plants at separate sites in Karachi, where the engines will replace existing, outdated turbines.
The first 90-MW phase of the "Fast Track Gas Engine Power Plant" project is expected to begin delivering urgently needed power by June 2009 as KESC is committed to quickly improve electricity conditions in the city. The second 90-MW phase will also enter service in mid-2009.
KESC is the only vertically integrated power utility in Pakistan, working in the areas of generation, transmission and distribution to serve the electricity needs of Karachi and its surrounding areas, with a customer base of 2.2 million. The utility's new management said it will demonstrate its commitment to improve service as quickly as possible through positive results.
"We are moving as quickly as possible to install additional power generation capacity to meet the critical needs of Karachi's business and residential sectors," said KESC CEO Naveed Ismail. "KESC selected GE's Jenbacher gas engines because they have a proven track record in Pakistan and the ability to be installed very quickly. Furthermore, GE also has the manufacturing capacity to meet our needs for such a large number of engines in a very short period of time."
In addition to the Jenbacher power plants, the utility has added 96MW at its Korangi Thermal plant and 50MW in rental power. Combined, KESC will be adding 338MW to the grid by the end of 2009, Ismail noted.
Addressing Karachi's chronic electricity shortages by investing in new energy infrastructure is the top priority for KESC.
KESC's record order of Jenbacher engines demonstrates the growing appeal for flexible, distributed energy technology to help utilities address local power demands in urban or rural settings. The milestone project doubles the size of the previous record for the largest single order of GE's natural gas-fueled Jenbacher engines, a record that has been established, tied or surpassed several times since 2007. The new project was arranged through GE's Jenbacher engine distributor for the region, Orient Energy Systems.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to work with KESC in its efforts to meet the urgent power needs of the people of Karachi," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. "We look forward to helping KESC improve grid service to support economic growth in the city, which is of vital interest to the entire country."
Iyyanki noted GE has hired additional engineers and recently expanded its gas engine manufacturing capacity to help quickly meet the growing demand around the world for cleaner power generating solutions based on gas.
"We are proud to be a part of this mega project with KESC to overcome a part of the power shortage that creates a serious issue for the residential and industrial end users in the largest port city of Pakistan and will execute this project well in time," said Orient Energy Systems Chairman Syed Rehan Hashmi.
GE's highly efficient gas engines can use either natural gas or a wide range of biogases and industrial waste gases.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2007 revenue of $22 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.
Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. In addition to various cogeneration applications, GE's Jenbacher biogas, landfill gas and coal mine methane engines previously received ecomagination certification, underscoring the environmental and economic benefits offered from the utilization of generating energy from high methane content waste streams.
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work.
About Orient Energy Systems
Orient Energy Systems specializes in industrial engineering products, services & solutions. Established in 1996, the company has grown significantly to become a dynamic company in Pakistan, Bangladesh & UAE.
Orient is recognized for representing one of the most advanced engineering technologies and helping its customers to achieve highly cost-effective outcomes. With more than 1,150 team members and more than 1,200 MW of installed power, Orient is a leading provider of turnkey solutions for customers in the region.
Orient offers specialized maintenance and overhaul services along with typical and sophisticated repairs for industrial gas engines through factory trained highly skilled service engineers. For more information, visit the company's Web site at (www.orient-power.com)
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