Germany's Siemens Power Generation Group announced today it has signed a $895 million contract with the United Arab Emirates to build a water and power project that will come on stream in 2004.
"This is the largest order that Siemens has ever posted in the Gulf region," Siemens president Mr Heinrich von Pierer said after signing contract for plant development, supply and erection.
The order includes a long-term maintenance agreement and the high-voltage switchgear for the new power plant, which will be supplied by Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution Group, the company said in a statement.
As consortium leader, Siemens will be responsible for turnkey erection of the power plant and is to supply five gas turbines, two steam turbines, seven electrical generators and all the ancillary systems, it said.
As consortium partner, Italy's Fisa Italimpianti will be responsible for the desalination facility.
The Shuweihat complex will be located 250 kilometres (150 miles) west of Abu Dhabi, and include a gas-fuelled 1,500-megawatt power plant and a water desalination facility with a capacity of 100 million imperial gallons per day.
It is expected to become part of a power plant park with a daily production capacity of 5,000 megawatts and 300 million gallons of drinking water a day, Siemens said.
British energy group International Power and US company CMS Energy, joint developers of the project, will operate and maintain power and desalination operations at the plant for 20 years.
AFP