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GE Fuel-Flexible Gas Turbines Selected to Help Meet a Growing Demand for Electricity in Morocco

^{Published on 2010-07-29 08:35:50 - Market Wire}
 

RABAT, Morocco--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--GE (NYSE:GE) will supply fuel-flexible gas turbine technology for the Kenitra Power Plant, which will help the Office National de la™Electricit© (ONE) of Morocco meet an increasing demand for electricity to support the countrya™s strong economic and industrial growth.

"We are very pleased to again have the opportunity to provide technology that will help meet Moroccoa™s need for reliable power to support its strong economic growth"

GE and its consortium partner, Cegelec SAS of France, have received a contract totaling more than a'200 million for the project, which will feature three GE Frame 9E gas turbines that offer the flexibility to burn heavy fuel oil, with distillate as a backup.

The new, 300-megawatt power plant will be located in the harbor of Kenitra, which is 40 kilometers north of Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. The project is part of the Moroccan governmenta™s plan to develop and modernize the nationa™s harbors, to help support economic growth. The plan calls for commercial traffic in Moroccoa™s harbors to increase more than threefold between 2010 and 2030.

aMoroccoa™s electricity consumption is increasing by 6-8 percent a year,a said Fouad El Kaouri, director for realization of engineering and production projects of ONE. aIn addition to helping to meet this demand, the new power plant is a key to the expansion and modernization of the port of Kenitra, part of the overall plan to upgrade six strategic harbors throughout the country. The expansion of the Kenitra harbor will support the exportation of products from Gharb, a key agricultural region of Morocco.a

The Kenitra project marks the second time ONE has selected GEa™s Frame 9E gas turbines; three similar machines were supplied three years ago for the Mohammedia project, which also uses heavy fuel oil. aWe are very pleased to again have the opportunity to provide technology that will help meet Moroccoa™s need for reliable power to support its strong economic growth,a said Ricardo Cordoba, GE Energy presidenta"Western Europe & North Africa. aWith their quick installation times and their capability to burn a variety of fuels including heavy fuel oil, our 9E gas turbines are an excellent fit for ONEa™s projects.a

The 9E gas turbine is the workhorse of GE's 50-hertz fleet. With more than 450 units installed, the fleet has accumulated over 22 million hours of utility and industrial service worldwide. With its flexible fuel handling capabilities, the 9E accommodates a wide range of fuels including natural gas, light and heavy distillate oil, naphtha, crude and residual oil. The Kenitra 9E gas turbines will be produced at GE Energya™s Belfort facilities in France.

ONE is a state-owned company. With more than 4 million customers, its mission is to satisfy electricity demand in Morocco including production, transportation and distribution.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the worlda™s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at [ www.ge.com ].

GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy [ www.ge.com/energy ] is one of the worlda™s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energya"GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gasa"work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.