Emirates Global Aluminium fires Siemens H-Class gas turbine to lower emissions
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, Mubadala and Dubal Holding have successfully completed a major milestone with the first firing of the Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine at a new AED 1 billion power plant under development at EGA’s Jebel Ali site.
The Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine, a leading technology in efficient power generation, is the heart of the new power plant. Over the coming months, other facilities of the plant will be completed and integrated to achieve a generation capacity of over 600 megawatts of electricity. Full completion of the project is expected in the summer.
The new power block at EGA is being developed by JA Power & Water Co, a joint venture formed by Mubadala and Dubal Holding. EGA intends to buy power from the joint venture for 25 years following commissioning.
Use of the H-class gas turbine will further improve the efficiency of power generation at EGA, saving natural resources and reducing costs and environmental emissions.
The new power block is expected to lower greenhouse gas emissions from EGA’s power-generation and aluminium-smelting operations at Jebel Ali by some 10%, the equivalent of planting more than 17 million trees each year. NOx emissions are expected to decrease by as much as 58%. The NOx emissions reductions expected as a result of the new power block are equivalent to removing more than 850,000 cars from the road.
The project is the first time a Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine has been deployed in the global aluminium industry. Once the new power block is fully operational, five older, smaller and less efficient turbines at EGA’s Jebel Ali site will be put on standby for use only in emergencies.
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of EGA said, “This project which includes a leading technology in efficient power generation supports the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071, which outlines the path for a brighter future for generations to come by making the UAE the world’s leading nation. We look forward to the successful completion of this project and for it to contribute to our nation’s prosperity for decades to come.”
