GE Renewable Energy has received a turnkey contract from Star Pumped Storage for a 344MW Kokhav Hayarden hydro pumped storage station in Israel.
The contract is worth more than $100m and GE will be responsible for the design, manufacture, supply and installation of all the electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment along with the complete balance of plant for the two 172MW pumped storage units.
The turnkey contract also includes a 20 year operations and maintenance agreement, covering day-to-day operations and maintenance of the power plant.
The project on the whole will be executed by a consortium led by SinoHydro and the construction and commissioning phases are expected to last for 52 months. Commissioning is scheduled for 2021.
When commissioned, the Kokhav Hayarden hydro pumped storage is expected to contribute significantly to Israel’s electricity grid, due to its scale of production and flexibility, along with the neighboring Gilboa plant. GE is also providing turnkey solution for the Gilboa plant.
GE's Hydro Solutions president and CEO Yves Rannou said: "Hydro pumped storage enables the integration of new renewable and intermittent energies to the grid. In Israel, where solar energy is booming, hydro pumped storage plants are critical to securing the stability of the grid.
“We are committed to providing world class technology and supporting our customer in operating the plant at its optimal level through its first 20 years of operation."
Recently, GE has filed a lawsuit against Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, alleging patent violation of its zero-voltage ride through technology. GE also filed a similar lawsuit against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2008 for infringing its patent on the same technology.
Image: GE secures turnkey contract for pumped hydro storage project in Israel. Photo: Courtesy of Areeya/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.