July 12th, 2009 @ kadraoui
A MASSIVE $2 billion (BD756 million) new power and water plant being built to meet Bahrain’s surging demand will be completed on time, says GE Energy Middle East .
The first phase of Al Dur Independent Water and Power Project is expected to add 600MW to the grid.
Installation work started early this year and the plant will be ready on schedule by June-end, said company executive general manager Joseph Anis. The project, when completed by June 2011, will produce 1,250MW, which is 30pc of the existing output. “It will provide 48m imperial gallons of desalinated water per day,” he said. GE Energy recently secured more than $500m in contracts to supply advanced power generation equipment and long-term services for the project, the largest plant in the country. The Atlanta, US-based giant is supplying two steam and four heavy-duty gas turbines and will service them for 20 years. A contract to build the plant was awarded last year to Gaz De France Suez Energy International and Gulf I n v e s t m e n t Corporation. Each will hold a 50pc stake in the consortium, which won the build-own-operate project.
GE Energy is well positioned to meet the increased demand for power and water in the region, he said.
“We have more than 1,000 turbines installed, with a capacity to generate almost half of the region’s installed base.” The project will be the first application in Bahrain of the company’s advanced gas turbine technology. “The turbines we are installing have set global industry standards for reliability, efficiency and operational flexibility and are equipped with emissions-reducing technology, which will support Bahrain’s environmental concerns,” Mr Anis said. Bahrain and the region are important to the company, which has been operating here for decades, he said. “We have more than 100 employees, many of whom are Bahrainis,” he said, adding effort was being made to employ more citizens. He also announced the setting up of the GE Energy Graduate Management Programme in Bahrain.
mandeep@gdn.com.bh
Tags: Al Dur, Gulf Daily News, Press