GE Power has been awarded a contract to provide advanced boiler and steam turbine technology for the 660MW ultra-supercritical power plant in Deh Ghangiaro, Bin Qasim, Karachi, Pakistan.
Image: A GE’s boiler technology. Photo: courtesy of General Electric.
Said to be the country’s first of its kind, the ultra-supercritical power plant is planned to be commissioned in 2021.
Chinese construction and engineering company SEPCOIII serves as the construction contractor for the project, which is also claimed to be the first lignite-fueled ultra-supercritical power plant across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey region.
GE’s Steam Power business in the Middle East, North Africa & Turkey (MENAT) commercial general manager Dr Sacha Parneix said: “GE is proud to provide this project with highly efficient USC technology, for which reliability has already been proven successfully by GE worldwide, including burning challenging fuels like lignite coal.
“On top of being designed for local Pakistani Thar coal, the project’s location at Bin Qasim also ensures easy connectivity to the national grid and very low transmission and distribution losses in supplying affordable power to the major load center of the city of Karachi, in particular.”
The project will be equipped to generate electricity required to power up to 1.3 million Pakistani homes and industries.
Featuring Beater Wheel mills and coal preparation technology designed to handle high-moisture lignite, the GE’s advanced boilers are capable of generating low cost power efficiently and reliably from Thar lignite.
According to GE, the Thar lignite is difficult to use as fuel because of its high moisture content.
The lignite will be mined by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company from Thar Block II for the Lucky Electric power project.
GE Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan president and CEO Sarim Sheikh said: “Coal will remain a vital part of the energy mix in Pakistan.
“The ultra-supercritical technology by GE is not only reliable, affordable, and an efficient solution, but also helps to lower emissions. The turbines will generate up to 660MW to help the country bridge the gap between electricity demand and available supply.”