Several leading global players in the power sector from the Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region as well as other countries around the globe will be in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to attend the 13th annual Power-Gen Middle East Conference and Exhibition.

The event, to be held from October 4 to 6 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), will see experts design and implement the course of power and electricity for 2015 and beyond.

It is renowned for delivering a world-class quality programme with a focus on practical and technical solutions, presided by over 60 leading industry experts on Power-Gen Middle East’s Advisory Board.  

Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, will formally launch the conference and exhibition with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and a keynote address on the opening day.

Nigel Blackaby, the director of conferences, PennWell corporation will be giving the introduction and opening remarks.

Feraye Gurel, the event director, said: “Power-Gen Middle East 2015 returns with a strong line up of exhibitors and speakers that aim to address key issues affecting the region’s electricity market and provide pioneering and practical solutions to expand energy efficiency, technological excellence and implementation of smart solutions tailored to the Middle East’s power industry.”

“Abu Dhabi is the ideal host for dialogue around enhancing the stability of resources vital to the region’s economy. We are confident that all delegates will greatly benefit from the caliber of attendees and their respective expertise and will be exposed to the best technology in the marketplace,” she added.

Confirmed exhibitors and attendees for POWER-GEN Middle East 2015 Conference consists of leading utilities and companies including Chromalloy, Masaood John Brown, Siemens, Ansaldo, Amec Foster Wheeler, Atkins, Bahrain Electricity & Water Authority, Masdar, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Saudi Electricity Company.

This year, attendees will have the choice of 19 strategic and technical Conference Sessions as well as two new components on the exhibition floor – a dedicated Exhibitor Presentation Theatre, which will feature live exhibitor demonstrations, and a new Business Matchmaking Service.

Power-Gen will offer a unique platform to meet more than 3,000 industry professionals from over 70 different countries.

Carlo Luzzatto, the president of Chromalloy, and the “Presentation Theatre” Sponsor said the event was an industry leading forum and the region’s premier gathering of energy leaders, experts and decision makers.

"It is the perfect forum to announce Chromalloy Arabia, a brand new joint venture, and to exhibit leading edge gas turbine engine services, meet with valued customers and form new relationships," he noted.

Atkins’ Power and Renewables business has recently been awarded a contract by the consortium to provide civil design review and assistance in building permitting from the Western Region Municipality of Abu Dhabi along with assistance towards conformity to the Estidama sustainability framework and international environmental standards.

Phil Malem, the managing director of the Power and Renewables Division at Atkins, said: "Our Energy business in the Middle East has grown rapidly over the last 12 months and we are excited to be attending Power-Gen Middle East to promote our whole lifecycle capabilities across the power, renewables and nuclear sectors."

Wärtsilä has received orders to supply two Smart Power Generation power plants for the Rural Areas Electricity Company (Raeco) in Oman.

The power plants, with a combined capacity of 104 MW, will supply electricity to rural areas in Southeastern Oman, outside the national grid. The power stations will operate in extreme conditions of up to 52 Celsius degrees.  

The larger of the two power plants will be located on the island of Masirah on Oman’s Eastern coast. The Masirah plant will consist of seven Wärtsilä 32 engines, having a combined output of 56 MW.

The other power plant, to be located in Saih Al Khairat, will have six Wärtsilä 32 engines with a total output of 48 MW. Both units will be operated using light fuel oil and are scheduled to be operational in 2016.

Teemu Raiskinen, the regional director, Wärtsilä Energy Solutions, said there was an enormous growth potential for flexible power generation in the Middle East.

"Main reasons include the sharp daily peaks in electricity demand and aggressive goals for solar and wind energy in countries like Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. We are keen to discuss how to keep the lights on in a sustainable way," he added.-TradeArabia News Service