GE upgrading 1080 power plant in Qatar

GE to provide five Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade units, maintenance services for 15 years and cybersecurity solutions for five years for a 1080 MW power plant in Qatar.

The company said the agreement with Qatalum marks the first time that the AGP solution will be deployed in Qatar.

Four of the AGP upgrades will be installed on 9F gas turbines at Qatalum’s power plant, and one unit will be kept as a spare. It is expected to help Qatalum enhance its power output by up to 96.7 MW with improved plant efficiency; increase the availability of its gas turbines and lower operational expenses by increasing the interval between their planned maintenance cycles from 24 000 factored fired hours (FFH) to up to 32 000 FFH; and to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions for the same level of power output by up to 67 000 tons annually.

Located in Mesaieed Industrial City, approximately 40 km south of Doha, Qatalum is the only aluminum smelter in Qatar. It produces more than 600 000 tons of high-quality primary aluminum products per annum that are used in the automotive, construction, consumer goods, and other industries and exported worldwide. Enhancing the sustainability of their operations to foster economic development, while protecting the environment, is a top organizational priority at Qatalum and an important goal under Qatar National Vision 2030.

“The electricity generated at our power plant is a critical input for our manufacturing processes and GE’s AGP upgrade is an excellent fit for our needs, enabling us to boost fuel efficiency and output, increase the duration between planned maintenance cycles, and to reduce costs, as well as carbon dioxide emissions, per megawatt of power generated,” said Mr. Khalid Mohamed Laram, Qatalum’s CEO.

Under the 15-year service agreement, GE will provide maintenance works for four 9F gas turbines, four generators, and other equipment at Qatalum. The agreement is a continuation of maintenance services that GE had already been providing at the site since it was set up in 2010. Furthermore, GE will also provide a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity solutions to Qatalum for a period of five years to address external and internal risks, including application and network security, data protection, change management, incident handling and response, data privacy, identity management, and more.

Qatalum signed an agreement with GE to provide five Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade units, maintenance services for a period of 15 years for equipment at its 1080 MW power plant, and a suite of cybersecurity solutions.

“GE is honored to support Qatalum in its journey to further increase efficiency, enhance reliability, and decarbonize its operations,” said Joseph Anis, president & CEO of GE Gas Power in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “More than 440 AGP units have been sold to date for use across five continents and we are delighted to bring this technology to Qatar for the very first time. Upgrade solutions such as the AGP are a cost-effective means for power plant owners and operators to better utilize existing power generation assets and drive more sustainable growth for current and future generations.”