JIZAN, 11 March 2004 — Minister of Water and Electricity Dr Ghazi Al-Qusaibi signed a SR334 million contract with a national company to expand Jizan electriccity station. The project includes building three gas turbines with a capacity of almost 200 megawatts.
The first unit is expected to start operating by summer 2005, just in time to help handle the higher demand for electricity. The second unit will be finished six months later and the third six months after that.
Al-Qusaibi said that the ministry wanted to have every house in Jizan connected to the network by the time its plan is completed. The ministry is also planning to expand Al-Shuqaiq desalinization plant to cover Jizan’s local need for water.