The
new contract brings the number of GE turbines working for SEC projects to
nearly 200 in the last five years. GE is supporting the production of nearly
half of Saudi Arabia’s electricity. The latest plant expansions support SEC’s
plans to expand its power capabilities across Saudi Arabia, including remote
areas of the Kingdom.
“The
expansion projects are part of our overall strategy to add an average of 4,000
megawatts of power annually to the grid in Saudi Arabia as we continue to face
a growing demand for reliable electricity,” said Ali Al-Barrak, president and
CEO for SEC. “We have been working with GE for more than 40 years. The new
contract reflects our continued trust in GE’s power generation solutions and
ability to respond to our technology requirements and meet compressed project
schedules.”
Paul
Browning, president and CEO of GE Energy’s thermal products division, said this
was his second time to speak at the Saudi Water and Power Forum, calling it a
great opportunity to learn. The Kingdom is witnessing a high economic growth in
water and electricity, which makes it a great place to get exposed to
challenges facing both sectors, he said, adding, “The growth power is challenging in itself, let
alone the environmental challenges related to producing the power effectively.”
Browning
said 62% of GE’s employees, or 450 people, are Saudi. By 2015 he expects to
employ 2,000 Saudis.
In cooperation with the Technical Vocational Training
Corporation, GE has trained 40 Saudis and employed 30 of them. Eventually, GE
hopes to train 100 Saudis per year.
