Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA) last week announced the successful transport from port and installation of the biggest gas turbine in the United Arab Emirates into its under-construction power block.
The firm said in a statement that the Siemens H-class gas turbine was transported from its location at the Jebel Ali port about 10 miles over the road to its final location at EGA by means of a special overnight operation that the firm planned beforehand. The 457-metric-ton, 13.5-meter turbine was loaded aboard an oversized truck, with the trip taking four hours over the course of two nights.
The gas turbine is now in its final position as the centerpiece of a AED1-billion new power block that the firm lauds as its cutting-edge power solution that will provide more electricity in a more efficient manner than the present arrangement. The new installation is a development by JA Power & Water Co. and is expected to provide 600 megawatts of electricity while lowering the site’s greenhouse gas emissions by a tenth when completed.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, EGA’s Chief Executive Officer, said the new gas turbine marked an important milestone for the plant.
“At EGA, we believe producing the aluminium that makes modern life possible is not enough. We must also produce this aluminium responsibly, in ways that support the sustainable development of not only our company but of the entire nation. Use of the H-class gas turbine will do just that, enabling EGA to further improve energy efficiency, saving natural resources and reducing costs and environmental emissions. The arrival and installation of the turbine is a milestone in the new power block project, and we are pleased it has been completed safely and efficiently.”
Dietmar Siersdorfer, Middle East and UAE CEO, Siemens, said he hoped that cooperation on the gas turbine would be the first of many partnerships with EGA.
“The Siemens H-class is among the world’s most efficient and powerful gas turbines. The EGA power plant will be the most efficient gas-fired facility in the UAE and will significantly lower emissions and strengthen the industry. Delivering this turbine is only the beginning of our partnership, and we look forward to working hand-in-hand with the EGA, Mubadala and Dubal Holding teams to keep this power plant operating reliably and efficiently for many years to come.”
Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Emirates Global Aluminium is an aluminium conglomerate created by the merger between Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) in 2013. EGA had an estimated enterprise value of US$15 billion at the time the merger took place. The firm is owned equally by Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai. Emirates Global Aluminium holds interests in bauxite/alumina and primary aluminium smelting.