Prince Abdulaziz with GE Vernova team at the rollout ceremony
In a significant stride for the 'Made in Saudi' initiative and a high technology triumph for the Kingdom, GE Vernova has celebrated the rollout of its first H-class gas turbine unit from the GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) facility in Dammam.
This milestone, achieved through extensive local collaboration and investment, marks a high point in Saudi Arabia's journey towards energy transition and industrial self-reliance.
In an exclusive interview with OGN energy magazine, Hisham Al Bahkali, President of GE Vernova in Saudi Arabia, emphasised that the H-Class turbine is GE Vernova’s most powerful and efficient model, designed to convert natural gas to electricity in the most cost-effective manner.
'The high efficiency and hydrogen readiness of our H-class turbines support the country’s energy transition,' Al Bahkali noted. 'These turbines can ramp up or down rapidly, ensuring grid stability as more renewables are integrated into the energy system.'
'Being able to roll out this highly advanced technology from a Saudi factory is a great step towards building local capabilities and skillsets, and is a result of continuous knowledge transfer and investment in the local Saudi workforce.
'The rollout of the first HA unit completed at GESAT is testament to our efforts in further deepening power sector capabilities in the Kingdom, and we are already working on the next milestones on this journey,' he said.
GESAT's accomplishments are impressive. The facility has exported over 200 modules to about 40 countries across four continents, contributing to the generation of more than 11 gigawatts (GW) of electricity-- enough to power over 8.2 million homes. This success story is driven by extensive training for Saudi nationals, including more than 4,100 hours of instruction in engineering, quality assurance, and technical functions through GE Vernova’s facilities in the US and France, he says.
To meet the rising demand for higher capacity and efficiency, GE Vernova is making further investments in the GESAT facility. These upgrades are in preparation for manufacturing the latest H-Class model, the 7HA.03 gas turbine. 'These investments will further elevate the knowledge and skills of our Saudi talents as they work on GE Vernova’s most advanced gas turbine technology,' Al Bahkali remarked.
By Sree Bhat
