GE Technology to Help Pakistan Meet Urgent Need for New Sources of Reliable Electricity
Guddu Project Supports Government Initiative to Replace Aging, Less Efficient Power Plants
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - February 23, 2011 - To help meet Pakistan's continuing need for more power, the government has launched a policy to replace aging and sometimes inefficient power plants with more efficient, modern technology facilities. The first project expected under that initiative, a 750-megawatt combined-cycle plant in Guddu, would feature advanced technology F-class gas turbines from GE (NYSE: GE).
Developed by the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO), the new facility is expected to be Pakistan's most efficient and largest combined-cycle plant. It would be a significant first step toward helping Pakistan meet its power deficit, which today is estimated to be 4,500 megawatts.
"Energy deficiency is hurting the industrial sector, and domestic and commercial activities also are affected, due to continuous load shedding of eight to 10 hours in rural areas and four to six hours in urban areas," said Tahir Basharat Cheema, managing director of PEPCO. "With its high efficiency, the new Guddu plant will help reduce the country's demand/supply gap."
GE will supply two Frame 9FA gas turbines and associated generators, which are expected to be shipped to the project site by the end of 2011 and installed by September 2012, with full plant commercial operation expected by mid-2013. The scope of GE's contract also includes controls systems, installation services, performance testing of the gas turbines and customer training.
"Bringing efficient, advanced power generation technology to regions of the world where more electricity is urgently needed is a key mission and growth strategy for our company," said Ricardo Cordoba, president of GE Energy Western Europe, North Africa and Pakistan. "Our F-class technology, proven in applications around the world, will supply reliable power to support Pakistan's economic growth and help improve the daily lives of its citizens."
The 9FA gas turbine is part of GE's family of F-technology gas turbines. More than 1,000 GE F-class machines are installed worldwide and have compiled more than 33 million operating hours.
The new plant is an expansion for the Guddu site, which already includes steam plants that have been in service for more than 40 years and a combined-cycle plant that has been operating with GE technology since the mid-1980s.
The Guddu expansion project builds on GE's already strong presence in Pakistan, where the company has been active for 30 years. In February of 2010, GE signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Pakistan to help promote the modernization of the country's infrastructure and economy. The agreement focuses on the development of Pakistan's energy resources to meet projected demand of 54,000 megawatts by the year 2020. It underscores GE's commitment to help Pakistan enhance its economy with cleaner, more efficient and better infrastructure technologies.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world's toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With more than 90,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, GE Energy www.ge.com/energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy-GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas-work together to provide integrated product and service solutions 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.
Media contacts:
GE news
Masto Public Relations
Email: information@mastopr.com
Cynthia Mahoney White
Phone: +1 518 385 5892
Email: cynthiam.white@ge.com
Ken Darling
Masto Public Relations
Phone: +1 518 786 6488
Email: kenneth.darling@ge.com
Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
Phone: + 1 518 786 6488
Email: howard.masto@ge.com
