Construction starts on Najim cogen plant
10 October 2024
Construction has started on the Najim industrial steam and electricity cogeneration plant in Jubail in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Najim Cogeneration Company, the special purpose vehicle for the project, reached financial close on the 25-year build, own and operate (BOO) project in August.
Previously referred to as the Amiral cogeneration independent steam and power plant, the facility will supply up to 475MW of power and approximately 452 tonnes an hour of steam.
Najim Cogeneration Company is a special purpose entity owned by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Japanese power generation company Jera, which won the contract to develop and operate the plant in March.
Taqa owns a 51% stake in the project company, with Jera maintaining the remaining 49%.
South Korea’s Samsung C&T is the project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
It has tapped Japan’s Mitsubishi Power to provide the plant with its M501JAC hydrogen-ready combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT).
Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Company (Satorp) entered a power and steam purchase agreement with the developer team in March this year.
The 25-year BOO contract is extendable by five years on mutual agreement.
Regional project tracker MEED Projects estimates that the scheme will require an investment of at least $400m.
Taqa and Jera will also operate and maintain the plant through an O&M special-purpose entity.
The Najim cogeneration plant is expected to be operational by 2027. It will cater to the Amiral petrochemicals complex in Jubail.
Steam cracker complex
Integrated with the existing Satorp refinery in Jubail, the new complex aims to house one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf, capable of producing up to 1,650 kilotonnes a year of ethylene and other industrial gases.
This expansion is expected to attract more than $4bn in additional investment in various industrial sectors, including carbon fibres, lubricants, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tyres. It is also expected to create about 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.
Saudi Aramco owns a 62.5% stake in Satorp, while France’s TotalEnergies holds 37.5%.
Exclusive from Meed
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4 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia to announce Remah and Nairiyah results imminently
4 November 2024
Principal buyer, Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), is expected to imminently announce the bid results for the contracts to develop and operate four combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power generation plants in Saudi Arabia with a total combined capacity of 7.2GW.
Two consortiums submitted bids for the contracts on 21 August, as MEED reported.
The four independent power producer (IPP) projects, each with a generation capacity of 1,800MW, are:
- Remah 1
- Remah 2
- Al-Nairiyah 1
- Al-Nairiyah 2
Remah 1 and 2, previously known as PP15, will be located in Saudi Arabia’s Central Region, while Al-Nairiyah 1 and 2 will be in the Eastern Region.
According to a source close to the projects, the teams that submitted bids to develop and operate these projects are:
- Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa, UAE) / Jera (Japan)
- Acwa Power (local) / Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea) / Saudi Electricity Company (SEC, local)
"There was an expectation that an announcement regarding the bid results was to be made on 31 October. Since that did not happen, the expectation is an announcement could be made before the end of this week," a source close to the project told MEED.
SPPC previously indicated that the four power plants would operate using natural gas combined-cycle technology with a carbon capture unit readiness provision.
The four power generation facilities will be developed using a build-own-operate (BOO) model.
SPPC’s transaction advisory team for the Remah 1 and 2 and Al-Nairiyah 1 and 2 IPP projects comprises US/India-based Synergy Consulting, Germany’s Fichtner and US-headquartered Baker McKenzie.
As MEED reported, SPPC has also started preparing for the next batch of gas-fired IPPs that it plans to tender.
The principal buyer is understood to have received bids for the financial, legal and technical consultancy roles for the Al-Rais and Riyadh 16 IPPs. The Al-Rais IPP will have a capacity of 2,400MW, while the Riyadh 16 IPP has a planned capacity of 3,600MW.
Awarded gas IPPs
SPPC awarded contracts to develop four gas-fired power generation IPP projects last year.
A consortium comprising Saudi Electricity Company and Acwa Power signed the 25-year power-purchase agreements with SPPC to develop and operate the Qassim 1 and Taiba 1 IPP projects on 13 November 2023. Each plant has a capacity of 1,800MW. The two projects are valued at SR14.6bn ($3.9bn).
China’s Sepco 3 will undertake the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the two projects, while US-based GE will supply the CCGT for the power plants.
A team comprising Jomaih Energy & Water, France’s EDF and the local Buhur for Investment won the contract to develop the 1,800MW Taiba 2 IPP and 1,800MW Qassim 2 IPP schemes.
Each project will be developed on a BOO basis by the winning consortiums, which will be 100% owned by the successful bidders.
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GE Vernova completes Saudi cogeneration plants study
4 November 2024
US-headquartered GE Vernova and Saudi Arabia’s Ash Sharqiyah Operations & Maintenance Company (Ashomco) have completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) studies that explored lowering the net carbon emissions of three cogeneration plants located in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, GE Vernova said it has completed the assessment of pre-combustion and post-combustion technologies at the three plants powered by GE Vernova’s 7E and 7F gas turbines.
Together the three plants deliver up to 920MW of combined power and 1,400 tonnes an hour of steam, a capacity equivalent to the average power needed by 920.000 Saudi homes.
“Our participation in the GE Vernova-led studies underscores our dedication to accelerating advanced solutions for potentially retrofitting the existing power plants to meet stringent carbon emission standards, a vital step towards producing more sustainable energy,” said Rob Hayes, executive manager, Ashomco.
MEED understands that Ashomco manages Saudi Aramco's cogeneration plants in Abqaiq, Hawiyah and Ras Tanura.
GE Vernova accomplished a hydrogen-readiness assessment for the three power plants as well as conducting assessments to improve performance and costs in the installation of possible carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) systems at the three power plants.
The firm reiterated that its 7E and 7F gas turbines can already operate today with hydrogen blend at up to 100% with modifications to the Standard Combustors.
GE Vernova’s feed studies explored solutions to enable operations using blends of natural gas and hydrogen, with hydrogen accounting for up to 32% by volume at those three plants, and defined the necessary modifications to the existing combustor systems to achieve this level of hydrogen blending.
The studies also focused on retrofitting the three power plants with technology capable of capturing up to 95% of the plant’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The studies concluded that the integration of GE Vernova’s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system could lead to a reduction of more than 7% of the total cost of the carbon capture facility, compared to installing CCS without the EGR system, and a 6% reduction of carbon capture operational costs per year, at the site conditions considered in the study.
Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE Vernova's Gas Power business in Europe, Middle East & Africa, said the first-of-this-kind carbon capture assessment “proposes significant enhancements aiming to improve the proposed carbon capture process and reduce its impact on the power plants’ output, performance and equipment costs”.
Photo credit: GE Vernova
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Adnoc CEO backs AI to stimulate energy sector growth
4 November 2024
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Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, managing director and group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), has highlighted the interconnectedness of energy and artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to transform energy systems.
In his keynote address at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), Al-Jaber appealed for an integrated, cross-sectoral response to meet the fast-growing energy needs of AI.
Al-Jaber, who is also the UAE's Industry & Advanced Technology Minister, said that the UAE has built an AI ecosystem that is fostering growth and low-carbon development.
He said the adoption of AI is also accelerating Adnoc’s growth strategy.
“For Adnoc, AI stands for applied intelligence. We chose to be one of the earliest adopters, because we saw it as a strategic imperative to drive efficiency, unlock value, enhance growth, lower emissions and future-proof our business,” he said.
Al-Jaber also announced the launch of ENERGYai (Energy to the Power of AI), a new AI system that Adnoc has developed in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based firms AIQ and G42, as well as technology giant Microsoft. The platform will be the first to apply agentic AI at scale within the energy industry and is capable of autonomously analysing vast datasets, making real-time decisions and driving operational improvements.
ALSO READ: Adnoc publishes report on role of AI in energy
ENERGYai will combine large language model technology with AI agents that are trained in specific tasks across Adnoc’s value chain.
These specialised AI agents bring autonomy and precision to critical tasks, from seismic analysis to energy efficiency and real-time process monitoring. Designed for seamless integration into existing workflows, the agents harness machine learning and predictive analytics, improving decision-making and operational efficiency.
Built using 80 years of Adnoc’s data, the three-year development programme for ENERGYai will begin testing with real-world datasets by the end of 2024 in several specific areas. It is projected that the system will cut by up to 75% the time it takes to build detailed geological models using very large and diverse datasets to support planning and development of large-scale carbon dioxide storage solutions.
In development planning, Adnoc says the new AI system will accelerate plans from one to two years to weeks, minimising costs and emissions in the process. It can analyse several scenarios in parallel, and this ability to run detailed, advanced simulations across all variables helps make faster and more accurate decisions.
Further along the value chain in the downstream business, the future-proof and scalable design of ENERGYai integrates with Adnoc’s existing technologies and platforms.
“It will not only analyse petabytes of data, it will proactively and autonomously identify operational improvements. It will perceive, think, learn and act. It will speed up seismic surveys from months to days. It will increase the accuracy of production forecasts by up to 90%. And it will be a powerhouse for value creation, efficiency and sustainable energy production that can benefit the whole industry,” Al-Jaber said.
Energy trends
AI is among three "megatrends" in the global energy sector that Al-Jaber highlighted in his opening remarks at Adipec, with the other two being the rise of emerging markets and energy system transformation. He said that harnessing the megatrends requires unprecedented cross-sectoral integration to accelerate sustainable growth.
Al-Jaber noted that targeted investment, enhanced grid and energy infrastructure and enabling policies and regulations are crucial to unlocking the transformative potential of the megatrends.
Adnoc, he added, is embracing the megatrends and pivoting to new opportunities across the energy value chain and around the world to future-proof its business, decarbonise and deliver long-term sustainable value.
He said that by 2050, the world’s population will grow by a further 1.7 billion, mostly in the Global South, and as a result, energy markets must shift and grow, and energy systems must be transformed.
“Wind and solar will expand seven times. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) will grow by 65%. Oil will continue to be used for fuel and as a building block for many essential products. And as the world becomes increasingly urban, demand for electricity will double.
“Adding to this demand is AI. AI is one of those era-defining breakthroughs that is changing the pace of change itself. It is redefining the boundaries of productivity and efficiency. And it has the potential to accelerate the transformation of energy systems and to supercharge low-carbon growth.
“But the exponential growth of AI is also creating a power surge that no one anticipated 18 months ago. That’s when ChatGPT took off. A single prompt on ChatGPT needs 10 times more energy than a Google search. As AI expands, it will rely on a massive scale-up of data centres for its huge and fast-growing computational needs. Over the next six years, data centres will more than double, requiring at least 150GW of installed capacity by 2030 and double that again by 2040,” Al-Jaber said.
He noted that no single source of energy is going to be enough to cater to this demand, and that meeting this demand sustainably will require harnessing diverse energy sources, from renewables and nuclear to LNG, alongside advanced infrastructure and increased investment.
“We need more infrastructure that is fit for purpose and fit for the future. We need investment in the power sector to grow to at least $1.5tn per year. We need enabling policies and regulations to accelerate and protect those investments. And we need to leverage AI’s potential to optimise energy sources, predict peaks and dips in demand and enhance battery storage,” Al-Jaber said.
“The train is leaving the station. What we decide right now will decide our destiny. This is a moment that will separate leaders from those who are left behind. And, when called on to lead, this industry always steps up,” he concluded.
Photo credit: Adnoc via
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Manama jumpstarts utility sector
4 November 2024
On 21 October, Bahrain’s Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) held a market-sounding event in Manama to gauge investor interest in its two upcoming utility public-private partnership (PPP) schemes, the Sitra independent water and power project (IWPP) and the Al-Hidd independent water project (IWP).
The event did not disappoint, attracting 60 representatives from regional and international utility developers and contracting firms such as France’s Engie, Japan’s Mitsui and Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power, among others. The EWA is expected to launch the prequalification process for both projects imminently.
The Sitra IWPP replaces the previously planned Al-Dur 3, which was in the early planning phases following the completion in 2021 of Al-Dur 2.
The planned Sitra IWPP is a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, which is expected to have a production capacity of about 1,200MW of electricity. The project's seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination unit will have a production capacity of 30 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) of potable water. It is expected to reach commercial operations in 2029.
The Al-Hidd IWP is Bahrain’s first independent, standalone SWRO plant. It is expected to have a production capacity of about 60MIGD of potable water and be completed in 2028.
The imminent launch of the two projects boosts Bahrain’s lean projects pipeline, which has experienced muted growth in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the completion of the Al-Dur 2 IWPP, which delivered 1,500MW of gas-fired generation capacity and 227,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of desalination capacity.
MEED understands that both the Sitra and Al-Hidd plants are being procured to cater for a combination of demand growth and some replacement capacity with more efficient and sustainable technology.
Commenting on the Al-Hidd IWP, Robert Bryniak, CEO of Dubai-based Golden Sands Management (Marketing) Consulting, says that it will be interesting to see what the tariff comes in at for a desalination plant of its size, and how many bids are received.
“Traditionally, Bahrain has done combined power and water plants, but given the inroads reverse osmosis (RO) technology has made over the years, it does make sense to plan them as separate plants,” says Bryniak. “Capacity-wise, the Al-Hidd IWP can be considered a mid-size plant in the region these days, although at around 270,000 cm/d, this is a large RO plant for Bahrain.”
A different set of factors will be at play for the Sidra IWPP, however.
For one, it is likely to be the last IWPP for Bahrain, which aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
According to a source familiar with utility projects in the country, the EWA is planning for future capacity to be sourced from renewables despite Bahrain's space and land constraints, which have hampered the execution of at least one solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project (IPP) in the past.
The source says that Bahrain could also consider other options to decarbonise its electricity systems, such as by developing offshore wind or importing clean energy – Bahrain, after all, has consistently secured electricity from the GCC grid – to supplement its available capacity and meet future demand.
Solar PV projects
The EWA awarded its first utility-scale solar PV IPP to a team comprising Acwa Power and Mitsui in 2019. However, the 100MW Askar solar PV was subsequently put on hold, with the utility issuing a new design-and-build tender for a similar-sized project in February this year.
China's TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis Company is the sole bidder for the contract, offering to build the 90MW-100MW solar PV farm for BD27.6m ($73.4m).
In 2018, Bahrain's Electricity & Water Affairs Ministry awarded Deft Contractors a contract to build, own, operate and maintain grid-tied solar PV power panels with a minimum capacity of 72MW in Sakhir in the south of the country.
The power plant will be located at several premises, including at Bahrain International Circuit, the University of Bahrain, Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre and Al-Dana Amphitheatre.
The solar panels are to be built on the rooftops, car park shades, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and grounds of these organisations’ facilities, a measure that directly addresses the country’s space and land constraints.
The 20-year power-purchase agreement for the project was signed in August last year, at which time Electricity & Water Affairs Minister Yasser Bin Ebrahim Humaidan said that project is in line with Bahrain’s broader vision to adopt a circular carbon economy, with the aim of bringing carbon emissions to net zero by 2060.
Water and waste
Bahrain’s Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning Ministry is the other client for the island-state's power and water infrastructure-related projects.
It launched the prequalification process in 2022 for a project to develop an integrated waste PPP project, which is understood to include a waste-to energy (WTE) plant.
The WTE plant’s intended outputs are electricity, fed into the national grid through a power-purchase agreement; incinerator bottom ash and flue gas; and recyclable materials
However, no further developments on the project have been forthcoming since early 2023, when the ministry prequalified several consortiums to bid for the contract.
The construction of new power and water desalination plants in Bahrain will likely require the building of new power stations. Nine such schemes are in the planning stage, according to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects.
As of November, bids are under evaluation for a contract to build two water distribution stations, one in Al-Hunayniyah and the other in South Saar. The bidders for the estimated $100m contract include the local Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi & Sons, Ahmed Mansoor Al-Aali and Panorama Contracting, as well as the UAE-based Tecton Engineering.
The scope covers the construction of two ground storage tanks, each with a capacity of 10 million gallons; two pump stations; and elevated storage reservoirs, in addition to the distributions stations.
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Region’s leaders turn to inorganic growth
4 November 2024
Commentary
Colin Foreman
EditorRead the November issue of MEED Business Review
The world is at a crossroads, marked by profound shifts across geopolitics, economics and technology. The Middle East, particularly the six GCC states, has positioned itself at the heart of these changes. The region’s strategic location between East and West, and its connection to both developed economies and the rapidly growing Global South, enhances its role as a bridge in the shifting global order.
As a leading oil and gas producer, the GCC is central to the energy transition. Its leaders are actively pursuing opportunities in artificial intelligence and automation to diversify their economies and prepare for a post-oil future.
Adapting to these rapid changes requires more than just organic growth. The region’s leaders have turned to inorganic growth by acquiring established firms, technologies and capabilities. This approach has been enabled by strong economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic and revenues from higher oil prices.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the most high-profile exponent of this strategy. The PIF has not only launched new companies to drive domestic development, but also acquired stakes in a diverse range of local and international businesses. Its investments span industries as varied as steel production, sports and video game development, all aligned with the broader goal of transforming Saudi Arabia into a diversified, leading global economy.
The UAE is also making acquisitions. Over the past decade, it has consolidated key domestic industries and shifted its focus to strategic acquisitions that advance its economic agenda. Sovereign wealth funds and state-backed enterprises have pursued opportunities across sectors, seeking financial returns and the know-how to drive innovation and diversification at home.
Completing these deals during moments of change will enhance the region’s position as a key global player.
Must-read sections in the November 2024 issue of MEED Business Review include:
> AGENDA:
> Acquisition with a view to transition
> M&A market boosted by energy deals> CURRENT AFFAIRS:
> Tunisian election reconfirms Kais Saied as president
> Ukraine war to weigh on Iraq-Turkiye oil pipeline talksINDUSTRY REPORT:
GCC project finance
> Region remains global project finance hotspot
> PPP activity eases back but remains strong> JEDDAH TOWER: World’s tallest tower is back on track
> INTERVIEW: Acwa Power taps artificial intelligence
> REGIONAL RAIL: GCC rail projects draw global attention
> INTERVIEW: Engie sticks to a selective projects approach
> POWER: Transmission and distribution sector heads for record year
> LIBYA: Libya mulls offering development blocks in licensing round
> UAE MARKET REPORT:
> COMMENT: UAE economy defends gains
> GOVERNMENT: UAE ups growth forecasts and targets AI opportunities
> BANKING: UAE banks reap the harvest
> UPSTREAM: Adnoc’s upstream goals drive spending spree
> DOWNSTREAM: Adnoc curates vast downstream portfolio
> POWER: UAE utilities ramp up capacity procurement
> WATER: UAE PPP activity rises
> CONSTRUCTION: UAE construction consolidates
> TRANSPORT: UAE infrastructure sector is on an upward trajectory> MEED COMMENTS:
> Hard negotiations ahead for Dubai Metro's Blue Line
> Race to build world’s tallest tower restarts
> World Cup stadiums attract international contractors
> Adnoc crafts burgeoning chemicals portfolio> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf Projects Index continues tentative climb
> SEPTEMBER 2024 CONTRACTS: Region records 55% increase in value of deals signed
> ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects
> OPINION: Biden leaves a mixed legacy
> BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts
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