GE Gas Power, the world leader in natural gas power technology, services and solutions, has signed an agreement to build, own and operate a power plant equipped with mobile TM2500 aero-derivative gas turbines for the Centralized Utilities Company (Marafiq) in Oman.
As per the deal, Rural Areas Electricity Company (Tanweer) will purchase from Marafiq the power generated at the new plant in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, in accordance with the power purchase agreement by Tanweer and Marafiq.
Tanweer is an Oman government-owned company mandated to provide power in various regions of the country, including the Special Economic Zone in Duqm. For this project, GE will supply four TM2500 units capable of providing up to 80 megawatts (MW) of power.
GE is expected to commission the plant in five months. The facility will then be operated for a minimum of three years until the area is connected to the main 400 kilovolts (kV) grid.
Described as GE’s ‘Power Plant on Wheels’, the TM2500 aero-derivative gas turbine is an easy to install, fast power, complete turnkey energy solution that can be redeployed from one location to another.
The TM2500 unit will replace power currently generated by diesel generators in Duqm. This will lead to notable environmental benefits, as generating 80 MW of gas-based power instead of diesel-based power, is estimated to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 thousand tons per year, the equivalent of taking up to 20 thousand cars off the roads.
Ahmed Al Harthy CEO (Acting) – Tanweer
“The Special Economic Zone at Duqm is a major new driver of socio-economic development in the Sultanate of Oman. Tanweer, Marafiq and GE’s focus was to identify a reliable power solution that could be implemented quickly and in a more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner than diesel-fueled technologies.”
“GE’s TM2500 solution is an excellent fit for this new project at Duqm. The technology offers a reliability rate of over 99 percent and more than 20 years of proven experience with over 300 units installed around the world and we believe it can bring significant benefits to Duqm,” said Mr. Hamed Ali Al Wahibi, GM Business Development and Strategy at Marafiq.
GE’s TM2500 solution can provide a baseload bridge to permanent power installations, generate backup power in the wake of plant shutdowns, grid instability or natural disasters and be installed at isolated locations.
Further, it offers significant flexibility, operating on a wide variety of fuels including natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and distillate liquid fuel, offering a quick start time of five minutes and the ability to ramp up power output at 20 MW per minute.
“The project illustrates how switching from diesel or oil-fueled power generation to gas can help power producers to generate more sustainable electricity, without compromising on the reliability, flexibility and affordability of power supply,” Mr. Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East and Africa, stated.
