Saudi Electricity Company Selects GE’s 7F 5-Series Gas Turbines for Riyadh Power Plant 12 to Meet Growing Power Demand

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Further expanding its role as a key partner in providing advanced power generation technology for Saudi Arabia, GE (NYSE: GE) has received a contract to supply eight 7F 5-series gas turbine-generators for the expansion of Saudi Electricity Company’s (SEC) Riyadh Power Plant 12 (PP12). The project will add nearly 2,000 megawatts of power to support SEC in meeting its future electricity demands when it enters commercial operation in 2015.

“GE is a trusted technology partner that has supported almost 40 of our projects over the last four decades”

PP12 will be one of the most important combined-cycle projects in Saudi Arabia using GE’s advanced F-class gas turbines and will be the first application of GE’s 7F-5 series gas turbine technology in the region. In addition to the supply of the eight gas turbine-generators, the contract includes technical direction for the installation of the units, spare parts, commissioning support and training. PP12 is part of Saudi Arabia’s plans to add 33 gigawatts of power generation capacity by 2020.

“GE is a trusted technology partner that has supported almost 40 of our projects over the last four decades,” said Eng. Ali Saleh Al Barrak, president & CEO of SEC. “For this important initiative, which will enable us to provide the additional electricity that will be needed to support Saudi Arabia’s ongoing economic growth, we have selected GE’s proven F-class technology. We are confident that GE’s technology will provide the high performance levels needed to make PP12 a successful project.”

The PP12 project is located adjacent to Riyadh PP11, an independent power plant also featuring GE technology that will add more than 1,700 megawatts of power to the SEC grid. Earlier this year, GE also announced it would provide steam turbines for the conversion of SEC’s PP10 project from simple to combined cycle, which will add 1,300 megawatts of new power to the grid. In December 2011, GE signed contracts with SEC to supply 13 gas turbines for the expansion of six power plants across Saudi Arabia.

“PP12 marks another technology milestone for GE in Saudi Arabia, as it will feature the first application of our 7F 5-series gas turbines in the region and is part of our FlexEfficiency portfolio of products,” said Joseph Anis, president & CEO for GE Energy in the Middle East. “It demonstrates the eagerness of the Kingdom to adopt the newest technologies that promote operational efficiencies in the energy sector, underlining Saudi Arabia’s status as a regional hub for cutting edge technology. As this newest agreement and other recent projects demonstrate, we are committed to being a technology partner for Saudi Arabia and take pride in delivering advanced technology solutions for the Saudi energy sector and supporting the Kingdom in meeting its growing energy demands.”

The 7F 5-series gas turbine is part of GE’s recently launched FlexEfficiency 60 portfolio, designed to meet the varied energy needs of a changing market. The portfolio positions GE with the broadest, most comprehensive gas turbine portfolio, delivering a combination of record-setting efficiency and flexibility. The 7F 5-series provides customers with significant fuel savings and lower emissions, along with operating flexibility that will enable power plants to respond to a wide range of generation conditions from base load to cyclic duty.

The 7F 5-series gas turbines for PP12 will burn natural gas and will be equipped with GE’s latest dry low NO_x combustion technology to reduce emissions, extend maintenance intervals and enable the plant to operate more flexibly.

Today, GE assists in the generation of over half of Saudi Arabia’s power supply and has more than 500 gas turbines installed in the Kingdom. The company operates in approximately 40 Saudi Electricity Company power plants—a partnership that spans over four decades.

With nearly 80 years of experience and 1,000 employees in Saudi Arabia, GE is expanding its energy presence in the Kingdom through knowledge-sharing initiatives and increased investments for technology centers that provide service repair support and customer training in the power, water and oil and gas sectors.

GE’s Dammam-based GE Manufacturing Technology Center recently completed its first year of operations. One of the largest energy facilities of its kind at GE, the center has achieved key milestones in the delivery of service technology to Saudi and global customers, enabling enhanced operational efficiencies along the entire energy value chain, while continuing to drive the development of Saudi human resources.

These achievements are in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2020 goals of promoting localization and empowering national talent towards a knowledge-based economy.

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