GE signs a contract to modernize EGA's Al Taweelah power plant gas turbines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The Gulf aluminium giant, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and the American energy technology company, GE Power, have successfully collaborated on the up-gradation of four readily installed GE 9F gas turbines at the EGA’s Al Taweelah power plant. This notion will help contain the severity of the greenhouse gas emissions, aiding UAE in achieving its proposed Net-Zero strategic initiative by 2050.

With a similar amount of fuel utilised, the upgraded facilities will generate 72 megawatts (MW) more power than what they used to produce with those four turbines.

Greenhouse gas emissions would be lessened by 74,000 tonnes annually to yield the previous power output of 920 MW which is parallel to the removal of 16,000 cars from the roads of the UAE.

Ge Power’s Advanced Gas Path (AGP) enhancement on the four 9F gas turbines will consist of hardware and software upgrades to induce operational transparency and improve output capacity. 

After the victorious imposition of this technology on six tinier E-class turbines in the UAE, this technology will be attached to F-glass gas turbines in the country for the first time.

GE's AGP upgrade on the four 9F gas turbines will deliver increased output, efficiency and availability through hardware and software improvement. In the UAE, this is the first time that the technology has been applied to an F-class gas turbine after it was successfully implemented on six smaller E-class turbines. A "Live Outage" concept will also be implemented for the first time globally on GE's 9F fleet. By replacing paper-based outage management with a digitized platform, Live Outage reduces the risk of errors and rework, allowing customers to speed up their outage process.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, the Chief Executive Officer of EGA explained: “We are embedding sustainability in everything we do, which 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.”

EGA is the largest industrial company in UAE that has joined with Dubal Holding, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) to launch a mighty operation giving access to solar power generation in Abu Dhabi.

This action would secure power generation and energy assets while decarbonating EGA’s aluminium production in the UAE.

TAQA and Dubal Holding have envisioned acquiring EGA’s electricity yielding units in the UAE, including the Al Taweelah power plant.

The generated energy from the assets would be transferred to the grid, abided by a long-term power purchase treaty.

President and CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Joseph Anis observed: “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 stabilisation,” he concluded.

The maintenance conduct ensures that GE provides repairing services for ten generators, ten 9F gas turbines and other essential equipment available at the plant. 

This amalgamation will continue the GE services at the site as it began in 2009.

EGA and GE have also proclaimed that they are willing to develop a roadmap to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from EGA’s existing GE natural gas turbines by experimenting with hydrogen as a fuel.

The companies would develop methods to capture carbon and use it while looking after the storage scenario.

Just after the Dubai and Abu Dhabi utilities, EGA is the biggest electricity producer, occupying power plants at Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah to meet the country’s electricity needs at present. 

Currently, almost 300 GE-constructed units yield up to 40% of the UAE’s power demand.

Dubai-based GE’s Jebel Ali Service Center provides high-end maintenance, repairing and testing for generator or gas turbine upkeep, which is one of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.