Siemens Energy has handed over the Taweelah New B Extension combined cycle power station with seawater desalination plant to Taweelah Asia Power Company (Tapco) of Abu Dhabi.

The local Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) has a 60-per cent and Asia Gulf Power Holding Company, a 40-per cent stake in Tapco.

Siemens, as consortium leader built the combined cycle plant as a turnkey project together with partners Fisia Italimpianti and Babcock Borsig Services.

The plant, which came on line in October 2008, is capable of generating approximately 970 megawatts of eco-friendly electricity and produces over 300,000 cubic meters of drinking water daily.

Taweelah New B Extension, which is part of the Al Taweelah power plant complex, is located approximately 80 km north of Abu Dhabi.

For the turnkey project Siemens supplied the power island comprising three SGT5-4000F gas turbines, one SST5-6000 steam turbine, four generators, all the ancillary systems and the plant’s switchyard. The Italian company Fisia Italimpianti was responsible for construction of the seawater desalination plant.

“The Middle East countries, and here in particular the United Arab Emirates, are among the most important markets for us,” said Michael Suess, CEO of the Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens Energy.

After Al Taweelah A2, which was completed by Siemens back in the fall of 2001, this is the second Siemens plant in this power plant complex.

Siemens had also been contracted with the erection of other power plants with seawater desalination facilities in Abu Dhabi, such as Mirfa (completed in 1996), Shuweihat I (completed in late 2004) and Shuweihat II.-TradeArabia News Service