GE won a US$200mn contract to supply steam turbine technology, power generation services and distributed control systems for the conversion of Saudi Electricity Companys (SEC) PP10 power plant.
GE will provide 10 of its SC series steam turbines specifically for the PP10 combined cycle expansion. The company previously supplied 40 7EA Gas Turbines for the PP10 site. The combined-cycle conversion enables the plant to increase its output without any increase in fuel, boosting its operating efficiency.
"The conversion to combined-cycle operation is part of our growth plan to add an average of 4,000 MW of power each year, with a vision of doubling the grid capacity by the year 2020," said the President and CEO for SEC, Ali Saleh Al Barrak.
"This new contract reflects our continued trust in GE's technology solutions and ability to respond to our power generation requirements. In addition to increasing plant capacity by more than 50 per cent, from about 2,200 to 3,500 MW, the conversion will raise overall plant efficiency," he added.
The project will increase the plant's capacity by more than 50 per cent and add 1,300 MW to Saudi's grid, which will help support the growing power requirements of Saudi Arabia's central region and help the Kingdom meet summer peak demands.
In addition to the SC series steam turbines, GE will supply new balance-of-plant mechanical and electrical equipment. An existing simple cycle Mark Vle integrated control system (ICS) will be expanded to incorporate the entire combined-cycle plant. GE power generation services will include installation, testing, commissioning and completing the combined-cycle conversion.
Shipment of the GE equipment is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2013, with services to start in the second quarter of that year. The first two combined-cycle blocks at PP10 are scheduled to begin commercial operation in the second quarter of 2014, in time to meet summer peak demands, while the full combined-cycle plant will be on line by the first quarter of 2015.
