Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), the nation’s incumbent utility, has handed a multiyear contract to GE’s Power Services business to support the availability of its three 9FA gas turbines at IEC’s Eshkol, Tzafit and Alon Tavor power stations.
Eshkol power station, a 1,449 MW combined-cycle gas turbine plant, is located in the north industrial zone of Ashdad and supplies power to Israel’s Shephelah region. It is Israel’s third largest power plant in terms of production capacity.
The 650-MW Tzafit peaking power plant, is driven by a 9FA-gas turbine combined-cycle system and two 9E gas turbines in simple-cycle mode. Tzafit, located 40 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv, is one of GE’s first IEC gas turbine project sites.
Alon Tavor power station (650 MW) is a sister power station to Tzafit and includes one 9FA natural gas combined-cycle system with a steam block from Alstom Power, which GE acquired in November 2015. The station is located in the Alon Tavor industrial zone.
The new pact goes into effect when the old service agreement expires in 2017; it covers parts, repair and technical advisory services for planned outages for the three 9FA units.
Commenting on the latest deal after a meeting with IEC executives in Haifa, GE’s head of power services Paul McElhinney said: “We are delighted to continue our close working relationship with IEC (…) and proud to help IEC work to increase the country’s long-term energy supply by improving the reliability and availability of its existing 9FA gas turbine fleet.”
Business relations between GE and IEC date back to 1950. The American OEM has supplied the Israeli power producer with gas and steam turbines, as well as services, to help improve its transmission and distribution operations.