First Order For Siemens Mobile Unit

Siemens announced it has received the first order for its SGT-A45 mobile unit from Bayat Power, a company of the Bayat Group. Within a few months, a complete gas-fired power plant, centered around the SGT-A45 trailer-mounted unit, will begin to provide electricity for the Jowzjan Province in northern Afghanistan.

The system utilizes an aeroderivative gas turbine, which can provide capacity of up to 41 MW at 50 Hz. Siemens said the SGT-A45 mobile unit is fully tested and pre-commissioned in the factory, and its trailer-mounted design minimizes the amount of construction work required on site. Reported to be the first new gas-fired power plant project in Afghanistan since the 1970s, Bayat Power Phase 1 will supply electricity to approximately 200,000 homes.

“The Siemens SGT-A45 mobile unit is the most powerful and efficient mobile gas turbine in the market,” said Julian Erfurth, senior vice president of Commercial Sales within Siemens Power and Gas. “Our unique offering, combined with Bayat Power’s extensive experience developing infrastructure in Afghanistan, will enable the first new gas-fired power plant in the country in over 40 years.”

Afghanistan currently imports the vast majority of its power demand from abroad. The Bayat Power Phase 1 project will enable the country to reduce its dependency on imports and make use of its local natural gas reserves. At the same time, local power production is a key requirement for economic growth, social development, and improved security.

“Bayat Power Phase 1 is truly a ground-breaking project, achievable only with the innovative efficiency and capacity of the SGT-A45 mobile turbine and the collaborative vision of Siemens, Bayat Power, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Dr. Ehsan Bayat, chairman and chief executive officer, the Bayat Group. “This project is not only just a unique opportunity to match creative private sector investment with Siemens’ considerable technical expertise and world-class turbine technology to allow Afghanistan to take its first step towards powering the next phase of the nation’s economic growth, but also is a further example of the Bayat Group’s commitment to investing in Afghanistan’s domestic energy industry in order to help electrify new industries, create jobs and activate opportunities which will benefit our entire country.”

The heart of the SGT-A45 mobile is based on Siemens SGT-A65 components (formerly called the Industrial Trent 60 gas turbine), which utilizes Rolls-Royce Aero Engine technology. Each SGT-A45 mobile unit is fully tested and pre-commissioned in the factory, allowing for installation on site in less than two weeks, and minimizing the amount of construction work required on site, Siemens said.