GE and SEC inaugurate first dedicated Monitoring & Diagnostic Center for power sector in Saudi Arabia

GE (NYSE: GE) and Saudi Electricity Company today inaugurated the first dedicated Monitoring & Diagnostics Center, named “Saudi PowerGen Efficiency Center” for gas and steam turbines operated by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) across its power plants to usher in the digital industrial era in the Kingdom. 

The Saudi PowerGen Efficiency Center (SPEC) is part of the GE Manufacturing & Technology Center (GEMTEC) in Dammam, and is the first M&D center built in-country as well as the first collaborative smart center for SEC. 

Led by a joint team of SEC and GE engineers round-the-clock, SPEC serves as a real-time monitoring hub that is linked to more than 500 power generation trains in the Kingdom. 

Further enhancing the reliability and efficiency of power supply to end-users, the Center will monitor over 300 gas and steam turbines at SEC plants 24x7. The Center also reduces unplanned downtime thus enhancing the productivity of SEC’s power plants. 

Analyzing over thousands data points annually, the Center draws on GE’s Industrial Internet strengths by integrating heavy machinery with big data analytics for higher operational efficiency and productivity of the power plants. 

Ayesh Al-Shemari, Executive Vice President, Generation, SEC, said: “The collaborative initiative of SEC and GE, the Saudi PowerGen Efficiency Center is a landmark in the history of power generation in the Kingdom. With the integration of our heavy duty gas and steam turbines across our power plants with big data, we are bringing in higher levels of efficiency, reliability and reduced unplanned downtime. The Center is a strong demonstration of the competencies of our engineers in creating a new model in power generation efficiency that will support the Kingdom in meeting the growing demand for electricity.”

Hisham Bahkali, GE’s President & CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said: “SPEC ushers in a new era of transformational growth for the power sector of the Kingdom with its focus on real-time monitoring and diagnosis. With the demand for power growing, SEC has been implementing an array of initiatives to boost the efficiency and reliability of its power plants. A key milestone in the global deployment of GE’s Industrial Internet technologies in Saudi Arabia’s power sector, SPEC underlines our long-term commitment to be a partner in the Kingdom’s progress.”

Eissa Aqeeli, President & CEO, Power Services, Saudi Arabia, GE Power, said: “The Industrial Internet is transforming the power sector with its potential to bring quantum leaps in reliability and productivity, while reducing unplanned downtime. Taking real-time monitoring away from physical power plants through the creation of digital twins, SPEC takes the operational efficiency of SEC’s gas and steam turbines to the next level by identifying any issues in real time and even before it happens, assuring swift preventive maintenance. The Center also marks the commitment of GE to build localized innovation and knowledge sharing through our collaborative effort with SEC’s highly skilled technical team.”

SPEC is located within GEMTEC, the largest manufacturing and Technology Center for GE Power which drives global manufacturing, repair, training and research & development. It already exports parts and services to more than 70 customers in some 40 countries.

With a presence of over 80 years, three offices and seven facilities, Saudi Arabia accounts for the largest GE workforce in the Middle East with over 2,000 employees driving the healthcare, transportation, power, oil & gas, water and aviation businesses. GE has unveiled its ‘Saudi 2020 Sustainability’ Program to double its workforce to 4,000 by 2020; double its Saudi supplier base from 150 to 300 to strengthen the Saudi supply chain; and double training offered in energy, healthcare, and localized research to cover 10,000 Saudi professionals. GE’s focus is to achieve US$100 million in the value of exports of products and services from the Kingdom to different parts of the world including USA and Europe.

GE Power monitors over 2000 power generation assets in the world with proven M&D solutions that reduce downtime and maintain top performance of the machines.