ACWA Power Zarqa IPP, driven by GE Power’s 9E gas turbines, enters commercial operations to add 485 MW electricity to Jordan’s grid

ACWA Powertoday announced the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) commenced commercial operations of its ACWA Power Zarqa combined cycle power plant on 29thSeptember 2018. The plant can generate up to 485 megawatts (MW), the equivalent electricity required to supply up to 350,000 Jordanian households. The project is the most efficient thermal power plant in Jordan, capable of operating at over 51 percent combined cycle efficiency, leading to lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated.

ACWA Power Zarqa plant deploys three 9E gas turbines, provided by GE Power, following an agreement executed in September 2016 with ACWA Power, the developer of the plant, and SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co. Ltd., which is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.  

The independent power project (IPP) supports Jordan’s Vision 2025 to boost economic growth and the Master Strategy of the Energy Sector of Jordan (National Energy Strategy) to drive stronger investments in private and public power projects to boost domestic energy generation by 40 per cent by 2020. 

Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of ACWA Power, said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of Zarqa CCGT plant, which reaffirms our commitment and contribution to the Jordanian power sector, economy, and social development. The completion of construction and commencement of operations of the ACWA Power Zarqa plant represents our pragmatic approach to serving the power needs of growing countries and communities while increasing efficiency and delivering power at low cost. The fact that this project is capable of delivering electricity at one of the lowest tariffs in the country is a source of great pride to us.” 

Mohamad Ali, President & CEO of GE's Gas Power Systems – Projects business in the Middle East, Pakistan and India,added, “GE has supported the development of Jordan’s power sector for almost 40 years, with advanced solutions that bring high levels of operational efficiency and productivity. GE’s 9E gas turbines are an excellent fit for Jordan as they operate reliably and efficiently in extreme conditions such as desert heat and offer tremendous versatility and fuel flexibility, capable of running on more than 50 different kinds of fuels, thus allowing NEPCO to utilize more economical fuels and leading to lower costs of power production.”  

Located to the north-east of Zarqa city, the project is constructed next to the decommissioned Hussein Thermal Power Station (HTPS). In addition to the three GE heavy-duty gas turbines, the power plant also features three heat recovery steam generators and one steam gas turbine generator. The plant consists of six stacks, one for each gas turbine and HRSG. The natural gas for the project is supplied by NEPCO through a new gas pipeline connecting the project with Jordan’s main gas pipeline. 

GE Power has a strong footprint in Jordan, having also signed a multi-year services agreement with Samra Electric Power Company (SEPCO) for full-plant maintenance services, including parts and repairs for critical power generation equipment for the 1,175 MW Samra Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Power Plant in the Zarqa region, which feeds power into the national grid for both residential and commercial use. The agreement covers seven GE gas turbines that are installed and operating at the Samra Station. 

GE has supported the development of the energy sector across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey for more than 80 years. Today, GE-built technologies support the generation of up to two-thirds of the region’s electricity.