Energy in Bahrain

GE Energy has signed contracts worth more than $500m (£300m) to supply advanced power generation equipment and long-term services for the Al Dur Independent Water and Power Project: the largest power plant in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Developed to help meet Bahrain’s growing water and power requirements, the plant is located in the Al Dur area on the kingdom’s southeastern coast.

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Authority is planning additional capacity expansions over the next 20 years to support the country’s reported power demand growth rate at seven per cent to 10 per cent per year.

The plant will generate a power capacity of 600MW by June 2010. The remainder of the power plant and the desalination plant will be operational in June 2011, with a capacity of 1,200MW of power and 48 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of water, thus making the overall capacity of the national network 4,000MW of power and 191MIGD.

GE Energy is supplying two steam turbines and four heavy-duty Frame 9FA gas turbines for the project, which are equipped with its emission control technologies. It has also signed a 20-year contractual service agreement (CSA) for the project, which will support the long-term operability and performance of the turbines.

Under the terms of the CSA, GE Energy will supply parts and repairs and provide field services for planned and unplanned maintenance for the gas turbine generators and accessory equipment.