From Greenville to Bahrain: GE turbines in $500M deal

When it’s completed, the largest power plant in the Kingdom of Bahrain is expected to account for nearly a third of the country’s electricity output. GE Energy is at the heart of the project, with news today that it’s signed contracts totaling more than $500 million to supply advanced power generation equipment and long-term services for the Al Dur Independent Water and Power Project. The deal calls for four of GE’s giant gas turbines — which will be made in our Greenville, S.C., plant — and two steam turbines — which will be manufactured in Schenectady, N.Y.

Spin class: With millions of hours of operation, GE Energy’s F-class gas turbine represents the world’s most experienced fleet of highly efficient gas turbines. This photo was taken at GE’s Greenville, SC plant, where the gas turbines in the Bahrain deal will be made. Our Greenville plant is the largest gas turbine manufacturing plant in the world, with over 3,000 employees producing products for domestic and global export.

In addition to the turbines, GE has also signed a 20-year Contractual Service Agreement for the project, which will support the long-term operability and performance of the turbines. The agreement also guarantees the availability of power, which is especially critical during the summer months in Bahrain, which is an island country just off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

When completed, the plant is expected to provide 1,250 megawatts of power, which would account for 30 percent of the Kingdom’s existing electricity grid output, as well as 48 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day.

“Worldwide, we are seeing a trend toward the integration of water and power production at a single site,” said Steve Bolze, senior vice president, Power & Water for GE Energy. “Water and energy are inextricably linked; energy is needed to generate water, and water is needed to produce energy. GE has the scale, diversity and expertise to effectively pursue and manage power and water projects around the world.”

GE Energy, which has more than 1,000 turbines installed throughout the Middle East providing more than 70 gigawatts, has announced more than $8 billion in power generation projects in the region over the last two years. GE’s advanced gas turbines have accumulated more than 28 million hours of commercial service worldwide since their introduction in 1987. They are not only among the most efficient gas turbines available; their combustion systems limit nitrous oxide emissions.

Lighting up the Arabian nights: This photo of Manama, Bahrain was taken from the top of Almoayyed Tower, Bahrain’s tallest building. The building in the foreground is the Bahrain Financial Harbour and behind it in the left is the Bahrain World Trade Centre. Developed to help meet Bahrain’s growing water and power requirements, the new power plant is located in the Al Dur area on the Kingdom’s southeastern coast.

* Read the announcement
* Read about the new technology office that just opened in Bahrain
* Learn more about GE Energy
* Lean more about GE's gas turbine technology
* Learn more about GE's steam turbine technology
* Read “GE to supply $1B of gas turbines to Saudi Arabia”
* Read “Iraq awards GE $3 billion gas turbine contract”