Siemens wins Saudi turbines order

Siemens Energy has won a Dh3.67-billion order to supply 18 turbines and generators for the 4,000 megawatt Qurayyah Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Saudi Arabia, considered one of the world's largest Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPP). Once commissioned, the plant will supply enough electricity to meet approximately a tenth of the current power demand of the country of 28 million people. Commissioning of all six blocks is scheduled for 2014. The project consortium is led by the Saudi company ACWA Power with Samsung C&T and Mena fund as members. Attractive market "Siemens received the order from Samsung C&T, which also acts as EPC contractor. In addition, a long-term service and maintenance agreement for the power plant was signed with Hajr Project Company [owned by SEC, ACWA, Samsung C&T]. The order value for Siemens is over $1 billion [Dh3.67 billion]," a Siemens statement said.The plant, which will be commissioned in 2014, will be operated by Hajr as an Independent Power Producer. Saudi Arabia is an attractive power generation market. The country not only has the world's largest oil reserves but also the fourth-largest natural gas deposits. Saudi Arabia's population is expected increase from 28 million to 40 million during this decade. To meet the estimated annual rise in power demand of 8 per cent the installed power generation capacity will have to double within ten years.