SEC invests in GE’s Saudi R&D center to boost power plants performance

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) announced that it has invested in GE’s Hot & Harsh Research & Development Center based at the GE Manufacturing & Technology Center (GEMTEC) campus in Dammam.

Disbursed over a period of two years, the investment will cover two projects to develop innovative solutions to enhance the operational performance of power plants when using crude and heavy fuel oil (HFO) for electricity generation. 

A part of this agreement will also be utilized to establish a laboratory scale test rig at the H&H R&D Center, as well as an industrial test rig at an SEC facility in the Kingdom.

Moreover, GE Power experts will share knowledge with SEC professionals to further enhance their skillsets in operating advanced equipment and conducting process optimization tests.

“From investing in setting up local manufacturing and service facilities to training youth and developing in-country supply chains, we remain committed, long-term partners in the Kingdom’s growth story and in building a strong ‘Made in Saudi’ energy ecosystem,” Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE’s Gas Power Systems and Power Services businesses in the Middle East, North Africa & South Asia, said.

The first research project aims to enhance the combustion dynamics of low-grade liquid fuels. It is expected to help customers achieve millions of dollars in annual savings through benefits such as reduced maintenance and increased availability of power plants.

The second project intends to remove vanadium, the most abundant metallic constituent in petroleum, which causes several side-effects such as the corrosion of equipment at oil-fired power plants.