Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA) has signed an agreement with GE Gas Power (GE) to make improvements on four of its GE9F gas turbines at its Al Taweela power plant. EGA says the improvements will help cut its greenhouse gas emissions even further, bringing it that much closer to its plan to be a net-zero carbon emitter by mid-century.
The upgrade contemplated is known as an Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade, which will have updates to both hardware and software with an eye at improving operational flexibility and overall output. The upgrades will also include a “live outage” option, which allows less down time in the event of an outage.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said in a press release that the upgrades are part of the company’s overall emissions-reduction plans.
“At EGA, we are committed to embedding sustainability in everything we do. This 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. We are pleased to work with GE to further upgrade the Al Taweelah power plant, and contribute to reducing the carbon intensity of electricity generation in the UAE.”
Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East and Africa, said that the upgrade carries a great deal of “bang for the buck” for EGA.
“We are honoured to collaborate with EGA to further enhance the performance of the Al Taweelah power plant. 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.”
Upon completion, GE expects the power output from the four turbines to increase by as much as 72 MW while removing 74 thousand metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
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.