Qatalum signs deal with GE for sustainable power upgrade

Qatalum has signed an agreement with GE to provide five Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade units, maintenance services for a period of 15 years for equipment at its 1,080 megawatt (MW) power plant, and a suite of cybersecurity solutions.

Four of the AGP upgrades will be installed on 9F gas turbines at Qatalums power plant, and one unit will be kept as a spare.

This is the first time that the innovative AGP solution will be deployed in Qatar. It is expected to help Qatalum enhance its power output by up to 96.7 megawatts (MW) with improved plant efficiency; increase the availability of its gas turbines and lower operational expenses by increasing the interval between their planned maintenance cycles from 24,000 factored fired hours (FFH) to up to 32,000 FFH; and to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions for the same level of power output by up to 67,000 tons annually - the equivalent of taking up to 14,000 cars off Qatars roads, said a statement.

Located in Mesaieed Industrial City, approximately 40 km south of Doha, Qatalum is the only aluminium smelter in Qatar. It produces more than 600,000 tons of high-quality primary aluminium products per annum that are used in the automotive, construction, consumer goods, and other industries and exported worldwide. Enhancing the sustainability of their operations to foster economic development, while protecting the environment, is a top organisational priority at Qatalum and an important goal under Qatar National Vision 2030.

Khalid Mohamed Laram, Qatalums Chief Executive Officer, said: At Qatalum, we continuously explore solutions to improve productivity and reduce the environmental impact of our activities as part of our efforts towards becoming a green aluminium producer. The electricity generated at our power plant is a critical input for our manufacturing processes and GEs AGP upgrade is an excellent fit for our needs, enabling us to boost fuel efficiency and output, increase the duration between planned maintenance cycles, and to reduce costs, as well as carbon dioxide emissions, per megawatt of power generated.

Under the 15-year service agreement, GE will provide maintenance works for four 9F gas turbines, four generators, and other equipment at Qatalum. The agreement is a continuation of maintenance services that GE had already been providing at the site since it was set up in 2010. Furthermore, GE will also provide a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity solutions to Qatalum for a period of five years to address external and internal risks, including application and network security, data protection, change management, incident handling and response, data privacy, identity management, and more.

GE is honoured to support Qatalum in its journey to further increase efficiency, enhance reliability, and decarbonize its operations, said Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE Gas Power in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. More than 440 AGP units have been sold to date for use across 5 continents and we are delighted to bring this technology to Qatar for the very first time. Upgrade solutions such as the AGP are a cost-effective means for power plant owners and operators to better utilize existing power generation assets and drive more sustainable growth for current and future generations.

GE has over four decades of presence in Qatar, supporting the countrys infrastructure requirements with solutions for the energy, aviation, and healthcare sectors. The GE Advanced Technology and Research Center (GEATRC) at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) is also driving localized innovation by focusing on applied research and knowledge transfer in key areas that drive Qatar's socioeconomic growth. -TradeArabia News Service