Under the theme ‘Building the Energy Ecosystem of Tomorrow’ GE Power is highlighting advanced technologies that promote efficient, sustainable power at the fourth Arab Forum for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (ARFREE), being held on May 6 and 7, 2018 in Kuwait.
The Forum is a high level international event held every two years under the patronage of H.E. the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and hosts high-level governmental officials, energy and electricity ministers, heads of international and regional business entities and energy experts from across the world.
Mohammed Mohaisen, President & CEO of GE’s Grid Solutions business in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said, “The Arab Forum for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency highlights the region’s focus on promoting energy efficiency and diversifying the energy mix for a sustainable future. GE has contributed to the development of the region’s energy ecosystem and these goals for over 80 years, with our technologies supporting up to 40 percent of the power generated in the Middle East and North Africa. We are a true solutions partner, working across fuel sources and the entire electricity value chain, from the point of generation to transmission and distribution, committed to supporting the region’s growing need for power through proven, reliable technologies that have a lower environmental footprint, to the benefit of present and future generations.”
The path-breaking technologies being showcased at ARFREE include GE’s HA technology, the world’s most efficient gas turbine, which has now set two world records, one for powering the world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant, based on achieving 63.08 percent gross efficiency at Chubu Electric Nishi-Nagoya power plant Block-1 in Japan and another for helping EDF’s Bouchain Power Plant achieve 62.22 percent net combined cycle efficiency in France. With these achievements, GE’s HA turbine has been recognized for powering the world’s most efficient power plants in both the 60 hertz (Hz) and 50 Hz energy segments. Among its many benefits, the HA can also ramp up or down quickly, while still meeting emissions requirements to help balance grid instability. It thus offers an excellent flexible complement to intermittent renewable sources as Kuwait and other countries across the region increase the proportion of alternative power in the energy mix.
GE Power will also present the Advanced Gas Path gas turbine upgrade solution, which delivers tremendous value to customers through a range of performance advancements. For example, it can increase the output of the 6F and 9E fleets, both of which are widely installed in the region, by up to 4.2 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively. Today, the AGP has been installed on over 430 gas turbines operating in more than 35 countries on 5 continents.
Furthermore, GE will highlight an industry-leading portfolio of on-shore and off-shore wind turbines, solar inverters and energy storage solutions such as the GE Reservoir, which seamlessly integrates across the grid to enable customers to improve renewables integration, grid operations and financial performance, as well as to reduce energy costs and enable more distributed, local generation.
GE will also showcase its grid solutions that are helping to reduce the environmental impact of the power sector, such as full digital high voltage substations that offer high reliability and low footprint, as well as its g3 – green gas for grid – technology. An alternative to the use of sulphur hexafluoride (one of the gases the Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce emissions of to control climate change) in high voltage substations, g3 technology contributes to a greener grid.
Moreover, taking center stage will be GE’s advanced digital industrial solutions. The intersection of digital and industrial is among the biggest opportunities that exists today; the World Economic Forum estimates that applying digital solutions across the electricity value network (from production, to transmission and distribution, to consumption) can create up to $1.3 trillion in industry value during 2016-2025. GE is already helping its customers reap the benefits of the digital transformation of power. GE’s Asset Performance Management (APM) solution for example, has helped customers improve the reliability of power generating machines, reducing unplanned downtime by up to 5 percent, lowering false positive alerts by up to 75 percent and decreasing operations and maintenance costs by up to 25 percent.
Visitors can learn more about these solutions and meet GE’s energy experts to respond to their specific questions and challenges at booths 35 and 36 at the Al Raya Conference Hall in the Courtyard by Marriott in Kuwait City.