Ahead Of Schedule In Egypt

In June of 2015, Siemens was awarded its single biggest order ever for the expansion of the Egyptian power supply. Eighteen months after signing the contract, Siemens, with its local partners Orascom Construction and Elsewedy Electric, has finalized the first phase of the megaproject, exceeding the 4.4 GW goal by connecting 4.8 GW to the grid. The surplus capacity of 400 MW is sufficient to supply more than one million people in Egypt with electricity, Siemens said.

“We made a promise to Egypt and we kept our word,” said Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens AG. “And by doing so, we not only overachieved in performance, we also broke all records in modern turnkey power plant construction.”

With its local Egyptian partners, Siemens is supplying on a turnkey basis three natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants, each with a capacity of 4.8 GW, for a total combined capacity of 14.4 GW, which will boost the country’s generating capacity by 45%. The three power plants — Beni Suef, Burullus and New Capital — will be powered by 24 Siemens H-Class gas turbines. The scope of supply also comprises 12 steam turbines, 36 generators, 24 heat recovery steam generators and three 500 kV gas-insulated switchgear systems.  Siemens is also providing training to local personnel. More than 20,000 workers are engaged at the construction sites during implementation.

“The role of energy in economic development is undeniable,” said H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker, the Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy. “This is why we are committed to efficiently meeting Egypt’s growing energy demand through balancing supply and demand, optimizing the country’s natural resources like natural gas and renewable energy, as well as ensuring a competitive energy sector through technology and know-how transfer.

 “Siemens power projects will definitely make an important contribution to our power strategy. With a focus on building local talent and capacity, the company is also training 600 Egyptian engineers and technicians, who will contribute to Egypt’s future of energy. I believe these projects are a great example of how Egypt recognizes the importance of working with international long-term partners, like Siemens, to drive the country’s sustainable economic growth.”

After completion in May 2018, the three power stations will be the largest gas-fired, combined cycle power plants ever built and operated in the world. “The plants will supply enough electricity for 45 million people and enable Egypt to achieve US$1.3 billion in fuel savings on an annual basis,” said Emad Ghaly, CEO of Siemens Egypt. “With these projects, we provide an essential contribution to stabilize both the energy supply and the economy in our country, which has an outstanding importance for the whole Middle East region and Africa.”