GE Vernova, the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) and Sharjah Hamriyah Independent Power Company (SHIPCO) have begun commercial operations at the 1.8GW Hamriyah independent power plant (IPP) in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The combined cycle power plant is the first power plant in Sharjah and one of the most efficient gas power plants operating in the Middle East and Africa.
The facility is powered by three GE Vernova 9HA.01 gas turbines, which in turn power three H84 generators, three STF-D650 steam turbines, three A74 generators and three heat recovery steam generators.
GE Vernova will provide parts, repairs and maintenance services for the facility for 25 years.
The 9HA.01 turbine is flexible enough to be ramped up and down quickly to stabilise the electric grid, and can combust natural gas blended with up to 50% hydrogen in volume, with plans to increase this to 100%.
GE Vernova plans to include a combined-cycle configuration with a post-combustion capture system that can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%.
Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority chairman Saeed Sultan Al Suwaidi stated: “At SEWA, we are committed to meeting Sharjah’s growing energy needs with more reliable, affordable and sustainable power, and to supporting the UAE’s plan towards transitioning to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The Hamriyah IPP is an integral part of SEWA’s 2030 Roadmap and our strategy to strengthen Sharjah’s grid with lower carbon power. We are delighted to have collaborated with industry-leading organisations such as SHIPCO and GE Vernova on this project, which is expected to help meet up to 40% of Sharjah’s electricity needs.”
GE Vernova gas power business Europe, Middle East and Africa president and CEO Joseph Anis stated: “The Hamriyah IPP was a special project in many regards. From the innovative financing structure to the global workforce that executed it, including during the toughest period of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the record-setting GE Vernova H-class technology powering it – the successful commercial operation of all three blocks at the plant is testament to the strength of SEWA’s vision and the dedicated efforts of all involved.”
The project is owned by Japanese companies Sumitomo and Shikoku Electricity Power, GE Energy Financial Services and Sharjah Asset Management, the investment arm of the government of Sharjah.
In December 2018, the companies formed a consortium to build, own and operate the power plant and supply the electricity generated to SEWA.
In May 2019, the developers secured $1bn (Y149.9bn) in financing from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Japan’s Export Credit Agency and a consortium of banks including KfW-IPEX, Norinchukin Bank, Société Générale, Standard Chartered Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.
