SEWA, SHIPCO & GE VERNOVA ANNOUNCE COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS OF HAMRIYAH IPP

In the run-up to COP28, Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA), Sharjah Hamriyah Independent Power Company (SHIPCO), and GE Vernova announced commercial operations of all three blocks at the Hamriyah Independent Power Plant (IPP). The combined cycle facility is the most efficient gas power plant operating in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) today, helping to reduce the carbon intensity of power generated in Sharjah.

By offering a significantly higher efficiency level than previous power generation assets installed in the emirate, the three GE Vernova 9HA.01 turbines are expected to help SEWA generate an additional 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of power with up to 4 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions per annum when compared to generating the same amount of electricity with legacy technology. This is the equivalent of taking up to one million cars off the roads of the UAE.

GE Vernova’s Gas Power business provided turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services and delivered three 9HA.01 gas turbines powering three H84 generators, three STF-D650 steam turbines powering three A74 generators, and three heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) for the facility. It also plans to provide parts, repairs, and maintenance services for power generation assets at the site for about 25 years.

GE Vernova’s H-class gas turbine technology has helped deliver two world records for combined cycle efficiency. More than 140 units have been ordered to date, with the technology accumulating over 1.8 million operating hours. Furthermore, the technology offers tremendous flexibility, ramping power output up and down quickly to help stabilize the grid as more variable renewable energy comes online. It also has the capability to burn up to 50 percent by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas, with a technology roadmap up to 100 percent. Future plans include a combined cycle configuration with a post-combustion capture system aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent.

In 2019, GE Vernova’s Financial Services business and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation announced a co-development project and raised ~US$ 1 billion in project financing from private and public financial institutions to support construction and operations. On reaching financial close, the co-developers formed an equity consortium, SHIPCO, for the project with Shikoku Electric Power Company and Sharjah Asset Management, the investment arm of Sharjah Government, to build, own, and operate the project.