Ge Energy Expands Power Project Capabilities In Middle East
Enhanced Presence Supports Strong Regional Growth
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - May 31, 2007 - Further expanding its local capabilities in the region's robust power generation industry, GE Energy is establishing new power generation projects offices in the Middle East to coordinate project management activities for the region, where the company has project commitments of more than $4 billion.
Ed Wollyung, a 33-year GE veteran, will lead GE's employees from an expanded projects office in Riyadh and new projects offices located in Dammam and Dubai. Wollyung has been GE regional manager for projects in the Middle East and North Africa for the last three years, and has more than 15 years of experience working in the Middle East.
"The Middle East is one of the most important growth areas for GE Energy in the world today," said Steve Bolze, President of Power Generation for GE Energy. "The expanded presence is part of GE's larger commitment to regionalize our project capabilities worldwide. That is particularly critical in the Middle East, where the need for additional power supply is driving strong demand for power plant equipment and services, as evidenced by the recent commitments our business has received."
Within a period of less than two months in late 2006 and early 2007, GE announced commitments for major power plant projects in Saudi Arabia totaling nearly $2 billion. In total, GE expects to supply 47 F-class and E-class gas turbines that would add 6.3 gigawatts of power to the Kingdom's electricity grid.
GE continues to play a significant role in Saudi Arabia's largest single power project, the expansion of Saudi Electric's Power Plant 9 (PP9). Since its first commercial operation in 1997 as a 1,200-megawatt plant, it has been the largest combined-cycle facility in the Middle East. It has continued to add simple cycle gas turbine capability and in the summer of 2008, with the addition of 12 GE gas turbines, it will become the largest single installation of GE Frame 7EA gas turbines in the world: 56 units totaling four gigawatts of power.
GE has worked closely with customers in the region since 1966, supplying and constructing power generation equipment and facilities throughout the Kingdom. To date, GE has installed 350 units in Saudi Arabia representing 7.8 gigawatts of power. In the Central Region alone, GE has delivered more than 2.5 gigawatts of power generation capability since 1971.
"Saudi Arabia's electricity use has been increasing at a rate of about seven per cent a year, and the Water and Electricity Ministry estimates that the Kingdom will require up to 20 gigawatts of additional power generating capability by the year 2019," said Wollyung. "We are committed to helping our customers in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East meet the growing demand for reliable power."
In addition to Saudi Arabia, GE Energy also is active in countries throughout the Middle East, offering customers one of the world's largest and most diverse technology portfolios for power generation and distribution projects.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
For more information, contact:
George Krakat
GE Energy
+1 518 385 4593
george.krakat@ge.com
Ken Darling or Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
+1 518 786 6488
kenneth.darling@ge.com
howard.masto@ge.com
