Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) together with Jera, Japan’s largest power generation company, have announced the successful financial closing of Najim Cogeneration Company, a new industrial steam and electricity cogeneration plant that will produce electricity and steam for a petrochemical complex located in Jubail in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

The new cogeneration plant will supply up to 475 megawatts (MW) of power and approximately 452 tonnes per hour (TPH) of steam from advanced combined cycle gas fired technology and will be developed by a special purpose entity owned by Taqa (51 per cent ) and Jera (49 per cent) on a 25-year build, own, and operate basis extendable by five years on mutual agreement.

Taqa and Jera will also undertake the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant through an O&M special purpose entity.

The plant’s financial closing comes after Taqa and Jera entered into a Power and Steam Purchase Agreement with Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company (Satorp), a joint venture company owned by Aramco and TotalEnergies in March 2024.

Farid Al Awlaqi, Chief Executive Officer, Taqa’s Generation business, said: "Representing a cornerstone of our commitment to growth and efficiency, Taqa is proud to take on a developer role as well as the operations and maintenance at the plant, two focus areas for capability expansion for Taqa, as well as adding 475 MW of power generation and 452 TPH of steam generation to our overall capacity. This is our third generation project in the KSA and we will be developing an advanced cogeneration steam and power plant using the latest highly efficient J-Class gas turbine technology in partnership with Jera. We are building our track record of excellence as a responsible and reliable operator and lead developer of generation projects."

Steven Winn, Chief Global Strategist, Jera, said: "This new cogeneration plant, based on advanced J-class gas turbine technology, is designed to optimise energy efficiency, and reduce environmental impact, and it will play a crucial role in supporting Satorp’s Strategic Expansion operations. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the plant will ensure reliable and efficient power and steam generation, setting new standards in operational performance and sustainability."