The landmark project, the ‘Green Duba’ Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Plant, will be built in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia, along the Red Sea coast. When finished, it will have the capacity to generate the equivalent power needed to supply approximately 600,000 Saudi Arabia homes for a year. The project will mark Saudi Arabia’s first integration of a solar field with a combined-cycle plant. It also signals the first introduction of condensate as a gas turbine fuel. “This part of Saudi Arabia is a developing region with limited grid interconnection, so the additional power generated by the Green Duba project will be tremendously important in supporting growth,” said Eng. Ziyad M. Alshiha, president and CEO of Saudi Electricity Company. “We expect the plant to provide cost-efficiencies over its life cycle, along with the fuel flexibility and solar capabilities needed to support the Kingdom’s fuel conservation and renewable technology initiatives.” The project is designed to generate up to 550 MW from the combined-cycle plant; the solar field will supply steam for an additional 50 MW. Under the terms of the deal, GE will supply the engineering equipment package for the combined-cycle plant, including two highly efficient, reliable F-class gas turbines, a 7F.05 and a 7F.03; steam turbine; generators; heat recovery steam generators (HRSG); condenser; boiler feed pumps; Mark VIe distributed control system and a long-term service agreement. Saudi Electricity Company will tender separately the remaining balance of plant, solar field, civil works, erection, commissioning and testing. “The integration of solar power and the introduction of condensate fuel at the Green Duba project is a true milestone for the Kingdom and supports the government’s vision to promote energy sector efficiency with a focus on renewables,” said Hisham Albahkali, GE president and CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
