GE was awarded the turnkey contract to build the Waad Al Shamal plant in 2015 and construction works commenced in 2016. Currently, the four GE 7F gas turbines operate in open-cycle configuration.
Combined cycle commissioning works are ongoing and once complete, the facility will be able to generate up to 1,390 MW of electricity - enough for over 500,000 Saudi homes. GE’s scope of supply for the Waad Al Shamal ISCC also included one steam turbine and four heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), as well as related equipment.
Rigorous EHS protocols
SEC has set rigorous Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) standards for project sites around workplace hygiene and housekeeping, lifting heavy loads, lighting and ventilation, waste management and other areas, with regular audits conducted by Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Security Department.
To be granted a 5-star rating, organizations not only have to meet the defined criteria but continuously adhere to them. At the Waad Al Shamal project, GE has dedicated site leaders, staff training programs and its own internal audits to implement and monitor EHS standards.
To enable project staff to work safely following the COVID-19 outbreak, there are processes of thermal screening of everyone entering the site, daily disinfection and cleaning as well as handout of mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks.
In Saudi Arabia, GE-built technologies help generate over 50 percent of the country's electricity. The recently built GE Manufacturing and Technology Center (GEMTEC) campus focuses on turbine repair, research into turbine operations in hot and harsh weather conditions, as well as monitoring and diagnostics. GESAT, a standalone JV between Dussur and GE, is building GE-licensed turbines locally in the Saudi kingdom.