GE has announced that it has delivered the UAE’s first two GE HA gas turbines and is currently engaged with installation and commissioning works at the 1.8GW Hamriyah Independent Power Plant. Project co-developers GE Energy Financial Services and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) in 2018 to develop, build and operate the plant.

According to a statement, GE is supplying a total of three 9HA.01 units and other power generation technologies for the facility. As per the terms of the agreement, it will also provide parts, repairs and maintenance services for power generation assets at the site for approximately 25 years.

“The delivery of GE’s H-class gas turbines at the Hamriyah Power Plant marks a significant milestone for the region’s utility sector. It brings us one step closer to delivering on our commitment to provide on demand, affordable power to meet the needs of Sharjah and to reduce the environmental impact of power generation activities in the emirate,” said SEWA chairman Saeed Sultan Al Suwaidi.

GE notes that the project is expected to be the most efficient power plant in the Middle East’s utilities sector and will contribute to the UAE Energy Strategy’s goal of reducing the carbon footprint of power generation.

The statement explained that following the financial close in 2019, the co-developers along with Shikoku Electric Power Company and Sharjah Asset Management (SAM) formed a joint venture company – Sharjah Hamriyah Independent Power Company (Shipco). The company will build, own and operate the project, which is billed as the first independent combined cycle power plant in Sharjah.

Joseph Anis, president and CEO of GE Gas Power (Europe, Middle East and Africa) concluded, “We are delighted to bring this record-setting technology to Sharjah to provide more efficient electricity, powering growth for communities across the emirate, and supporting the decarbonization goals outlined under the UAE Energy Strategy.”