GE Vernova on Monday announced the successful rollout of the first H-class gas turbine unit completed at the GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) facility in Dammam.

The official ceremony, held at GESAT, was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy.

As part of the event, GE Vernova also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Export-Import Bank (Exim) to enable the export of goods and services of GE Vernova from Saudi Arabia.

The ceremony was also attended by Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Vernova’s Gas Power business in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and other guests.

GESAT is a world-class gas turbine and component manufacturing facility and a joint venture between Dussur and GE Vernova.

The first locally completed H-Class unit is set to power the Jafurah Cogeneration Independent Steam and Power Plant (ISPP), which once operational is anticipated to be the most efficient power plant in Saudi Arabia. By 2030, the entire Jafurah gas field is expected to produce up to 630,000 barrels of natural gas liquids and condensates, as well as over 420 million standard cubic feet (MMSCFD) of ethane per day.

The successful rollout of the locally completed gas turbine at GESAT is a significant milestone in the kingdom’s energy sector and contributes to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification and local skills development initiatives, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 goals. The rollout underscores GE Vernova’s commitment to bringing cutting-edge technology products to support both the Kingdom’s energy needs and its sustainability goals, said a statement.

Hisham Al Bahkali, President of GE Vernova in Saudi Arabia, said: “We are incredibly proud of GESAT’s accomplishments in driving industrial localization within the Kingdom’s energy sector in support of Saudi Vision 2030. GESAT strengthens ‘Made in Saudi’ capabilities and, since 2018, has exported 200+ accessory modules for power plants generating more than 11 GW. GESAT is now further growing its ongoing success with the rollout of one of the most advanced gas turbines, completed in Saudi Arabia.”

Renowned for their high efficiency and performance, GE Vernova’s H-class gas turbines offer one of the most cost-effective conversions of natural gas to electricity in their class, and support flexible power generation needs across the Middle East.

Joseph Anis said: “GE Vernova has close to 90 years of legacy in the Kingdom, reflecting our strong commitment to advancing the country’s goals for energy security, economic diversification, and talent development under Saudi Vision 2030. The rollout of the first HA unit completed at GESAT is a testament to our efforts in further deepening power sector capabilities in the Kingdom. The high efficiency and hydrogen readiness of our H-class turbines can support the country’s energy transition, as the turbines can rapidly ramp up or down to support grid stability as more intermittent renewables are integrated into the energy system.”

To further support the Kingdom’s economic diversification and export capabilities, GE Vernova also signed an MoU with Saudi EXIM that aims at enabling the export of goods and services of GE Vernova from Saudi Arabia through lending and insurance support from Saudi EXIM Bank. Since inception, GESAT has been set up to deliver technology products for export from the Kingdom, and this MoU aims to further enable export projects. The signing was done by H.E. Eng. Saad Alkhalb, CEO of Saudi Exim Bank, and Hisham Al Bahkali, President of GE Vernova for Saudi Arabia.

GE Vernova spun-off from GE and began trading as an independent company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on April 2, 2024. With approximately 55,000 wind turbines and 7,000 gas turbines, GE Vernova's technology helps generate about 25% of the world's electricity and has a meaningful role to play in the energy transition.  

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