UAE-based aluminium producer Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has signed an agreement with GE Gas Power to upgrade four existing gas turbines at EGA’s Al Taweelah power plant.
The Al Taweelah power plant is located at the aluminium manufacturing site in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi. It consists of nine gas turbines and four steam turbines and generates the electricity needed for smelting operations.
GE will upgrade all hardware and software components on the four 9F gas turbines to improve operational flexibility and increase output and efficiency.
GE will implement the “Live Outage” concept for the first time on its 9F fleet, a digitised platform designed to speed up the outage process for customers.
The upgrade is expected to increase power output from the four turbines by up to 72MW, according to GE, and reduce emissions by up to 74 thousand tonnes annually.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, said in a statement: “At EGA, we are committed to embedding sustainability in everything we do. This includes improving the efficiency of our current captive natural gas-fired electricity generation fleet even though we plan to divest these assets and instead source the power we need from the grid. We are pleased to work with GE to further upgrade the Al Taweelah power plant, and contribute to reducing the carbon intensity of electricity generation in the UAE.”
Joseph Anis, president & CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East and Africa, added: “…Billions of dollars have been invested in the existing installed base of gas power generation assets in the UAE and around the world. This equipment often has lifespans of 20-40 years and will not all simply be retired. However, upgrade solutions such as the AGP offer a practical means to reduce the carbon footprint of the installed base in as little time as a few months. They also enable gas infrastructure to continue to play a critical role in the energy transition by complementing variable renewable energy resources with reliable, flexible, on demand power that can help with grid stabilization.”
The agreement will see GE provide repairs, maintenance and parts for ten gas turbines, ten generators and other equipment at the site.
