SEWA, SHIPCO & GE VERNOVA ANNOUNCE COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS OF HAMRIYAH IPP
By offering a higher efficiency level than previous power generation assets installed in Sharjah, the three GE Vernova 9HA.01 turbines are expected to help generate up to 4 million tons of fewer carbon dioxide emissions per annum when compared to generating the same amount of electricity with legacy technology – the equivalent of taking up to one million cars off the roads of the UAE.
Sharjah, UAE; 19 October, 2023: In the run-up to COP28, Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA), Sharjah Hamriyah Independent Power Company (SHIPCO), and GE Vernova (NYSE: GE) announced commercial operations of all three blocks at the Hamriyah Independent Power Plant (IPP). The combined cycle facility is the most efficient gas power plant operating in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) today, helping to reduce the carbon intensity of power generated in Sharjah. By offering a significantly higher efficiency level than previous power generation assets installed in the emirate, the three GE Vernova 9HA.01 turbines are expected to help SEWA generate an additional 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of power with up to 4 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide emissions per annum when compared to generating the same amount of electricity with legacy technology. This is the equivalent of taking up to one million cars off the roads of the UAE.
His Excellency Saeed Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA) said, “At SEWA, we are committed to meeting Sharjah’s growing energy needs with more reliable, affordable, and sustainable power, and to supporting the UAE’s plan towards transitioning to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Hamriyah IPP is an integral part of SEWA’s 2030 Roadmap and our strategy to strengthen Sharjah’s grid with lower carbon power. We are delighted to have collaborated with industry-leading organizations such as SHIPCO and GE Vernova on this project, which is expected to help meet up to 40 percent of Sharjah’s electricity needs.
Omar Almulla, Chairman of SHIPCO said, “The significant milestone of commercial operations of all three blocks at the Hamriyah IPP was the result of over 11 million hours of work done by more than 1,500 people from over 20 countries from across SEWA, SHIPCO, GE Vernova, and other stakeholders. Together, we are committed to adding power capacity in the UAE, while lowering the carbon intensity of electricity generated to help address the global climate challenge and keep powering growth.”
“The Hamriyah IPP was a special project in many regards. From the innovative financing structure to the global workforce that executed it, including during the toughest period of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the record-setting GE Vernova H-class technology powering it – the successful commercial operation of all three blocks at the plant is testament to the strength of SEWA’s vision and the dedicated efforts of all involved,” said Joseph Anis, President & CEO Europe, Middle East & Africa at GE Vernova’s Gas Power business.
In 2019, GE Vernova’s Financial Services business and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation announced a co-development project and raised ~US$ 1 billion in project financing from private and public financial institutions to support construction and operations. On reaching financial close, the co-developers formed an equity consortium, SHIPCO, for the project with Shikoku Electric Power Company and Sharjah Asset Management, the investment arm of Sharjah Government, to build, own, and operate the project.
