Another 1647 megawatts of electric power have been added to the Abu Dhabi electric power grid, as the Shuweihat 3 power plant goes into production.
Siemens, together with its Korean consortium partner Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co, handed over into commercial operation the Shuweihat S3 combined cycle power plant (CCPP) in Abu Dhabi. The owner is Shuweihat Asia Power Company (SAPCO), a consortium comprising of Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, the Korea Electric Power Corporation and the local utility Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority.
The plant, which has an installed generating capacity of 1,647 megawatts, will be operated by the Shuweihat Asia O&M Company (SAOM). In addition to supporting increasing power demand in Abu Dhabi, where population has grown seven per cent per annum, the power plant will also deliver power to the emirate's expanding industry, new communities and commercial activities in Abu Dhabi. Ruwais refinery, which has got more refining capacity, would also get electricity from the plant.
The power demand has grown during the last five years in Abu Dhabi, reflecting a strong growth in the economy. However, the projections for power demand are even more bullish as experts believe Abu Dhabi's needs would grow 11.9 per cent until 2015. Apart from meeting its local energy requirements, Abu Dhabi exports 2,094MW of electric to the energy deficient Northern Emirates, in 2013. ADWEA exported 1,389MW of electricity to Fewa in 2012 against 1,198MW in the previous year; while there was a slight increase to Sewa to 715MW in 2012 against 707MW a year ago.
Energy-surplus Abu Dhabi, which privatised its electric power industry long ago, has planned new projects according to meet its growing needs. An electric power and water making project in Mirfa, which is a public-private partnership venture will generate 1600MW.
The project is scheduled to come online in the second quarter of 2016. It will produce 52.5 million imperial gallons of water also. The project involves the acquisition of certain existing water and power facilities, the development, design, engineering and construction of new power and water facilities, as well as the operation of the plant. Situated approximately 260km west of Abu Dhabi, Shuweihat S3 is Siemens' fifth power plant in Abu Dhabi. The company had also completed turnkey in 2004 the Shuweihat S1 CCPP and the Shuweihat S2 CCPP in September 2011. Both are equipped with seawater desalination.
With an installed electrical generating capacity of 1,500MW and potable water output of some 455,000 cubic meters per day, Shuweihat S2 is one of the largest plants of its type in the world. Siemens has expertise in power plants with integrated seawater desalination units in the Gulf region. Besides the Shuweihat S1 and S2 seawater desalination plants, Siemens also built Al Taweelah A2 (2001), and the Al Taweelah New B Extension (2008) in Abu Dhabi.