GE Energy bags $500 million deal in UAE

When phase one of the Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) production facility at Al Taweelah on the Arabian Gulf near here is complete, it will have an installed capacity of over 2,000 MW of electricity to be used in the production of 700,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum, according to the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM).

“Over the past year we have seen a growing number of opportunities in the Middle East and worldwide where we can apply our gas turbine technology for projects where the power is primarily used by our customers for industrial processes,” the report quoted Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s Middle East regional executive, as saying.

Using natural gas as its primary fuel, the power plant will feature specialised gas turbines, steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators and condensers, all provided by GE Energy.

“The EMAL project illustrates our ongoing commitment to supply gas turbines with the reliability and flexibility to meet the demands of these applications,” Anis said.

SNC-Lavalin of Canada and Worley Parsons of Australia have forged a partnership to serve as the engineering, procurement and construction management contractors for the project.

According to EMAL chief executive Duncan Hedditch, the new aluminium smelter will be the cornerstone of Abu DhabiÂ’s plan to have a diverse and sustainable economy away from oil.

“In addition to benefiting the UAE economy, EMAL is committed to the environment and making sure the production facility meets environmental standards set by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency,” Hedditch said.

The EMAL project further expands GE EnergyÂ’s growing presence in Abu Dhabi and the region.

“The Middle East is one of the most important growth areas for GE Energy in the world today,” Anis said.

The Abu Dhabi project is the latest in a series of projects worth $4 billion announced by GE Energy in the region since 2006.