MAN Cements Deal In Saudi Arabia

MAN Diesel & Turbo has received a contract to build a power plant for the Arabian Cement Company (ACC) in Saudi Arabia.

The 40 MW plant will be equipped with two 18V48/60 TS engines and will provide power to a cement factory in Rabigh, around 120 km north of Jeddah, at the Red Sea coast. The plant will be operated by heavy fuel oil (HFO) and diesel oil (DO).

The 18V48/60TS deploys MAN Diesel & Turbo’s TCA88 and TCA77 standard turbochargers in sequence. The TCA88 is located upstream and provides the low pressure turbocharger, while the TCA77 forms the high pressure turbocharger, next to the engine. In this configuration, both turbochargers can achieve pressure ratios over 6 bars and efficiencies of more than 76%, the company said.

The low pressure turbocharger is located on its own steel frame. The combustion air and exhaust gas piping between both turbochargers is fitted with compensators, ensuring complete insulation from vibrations, the company said. An air blower is situated below the steel frame of the low pressure turbocharger. Active during engine start-up and low part-load operation (up to 25% load), it helps achieve low smoke emissions even during these operation phases. The excess combustion air from the turbochargers provides greater operational flexibility, the company said. The high charge air pressure can be used for enhanced Miller Cycling, delivering significant fuel savings and further reducing NO_x emissions, MAN said.

Construction of the agreed first phase of the power plant is scheduled for 2016/17. The plant’s capacity will be increased to a total of 120 MW by two additional phases of construction which will see a further four engines installed.

“MAN Diesel & Turbo has been a reliable partner of ours for many years,” said Gasem Al Maimani, president and CEO of ACC. “In addition to a high level of professionalism and the quality of the engines, we appreciate the company’s flexibility and capacity for innovation which enables it to implement even complex customer requirements.”

As the consortium leader for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), MAN Diesel & Turbo is responsible for the construction of the entire plant.

“This order marks another milestone in the development of our EPC business in Saudi Arabia and speaks to the trustful relationship we were able to build with the local cement and building industry”, said Ashraf Al Natsheh, senior sales director Power Plants for Saudi Arabia. In 2016, MAN will also hand over a 55 MW power plant to the customer United Cement Industrial Company, which is operated by MAN’s service brand PrimeServ.

Saudi Arabia is a growing core market for the MAN Diesel & Turbo power plant division.

“We have established a good reputation by completing a large number of successful projects in Saudi Arabia,” said Alexander Stöckler, global head of Sales at the MAN Diesel & Turbo power plant division. “It is crucial that we maintain our reputation and continue to prove our capability with each new project. We are very grateful to have a working relationship with ACC stretching back more than 30 years that is characterized by mutual trust.”