The Alon Tavor power plant was acquired by MRC Group from Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) in July 2019
The services contract will predictive maintenance solutions for GE’s 9FA unit installed at the combined cycle unit. (Credit: GE)
MRC Group has signed a new 15-year services agreement with GE for the 375MW Alon Tavor power plant in the northern Israeli city of Afula.
The services contract will cover parts, repairs, and predictive maintenance solutions for GE’s 9FA unit installed at the combined cycle unit, located in the Alon Tavor industrial zone.
The Alon Tavor power plant was acquired by MRC from Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) in July 2019.
The contract is expected to increase the long-term availability, reliability, and efficiency of the plant.
Under the agreement, it is also expected that the gas turbine will be connected to the GE´s Monitoring & Diagnostics (M&D) Center for 24/7 predictive maintenance support.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the center, with a team of over 50 M&D engineers, analyzes more than 50,000 operational alarms annually to help power plant and industrial operators in improving their asset reliability and performance.
In addition, the contract awarded by MRC Group includes an option for the upgrade of the turbine with GE’s Advanced Gas Path technology to improve the unit’s availability, heat rate, and output.
MRC Alon Tavor Power CEO Gigi Shlomo said: “The reliability of a turbine impacts the performance of the entire plant.
“We’re confident in GE technology, and trust GE’s expertise. It was therefore a natural choice for us to turn to GE to help us find the right solution.
“After examining both operating and capital expenditures, we determined GE’s total plant solution and the use of advanced analytics represented the best option for our plant to improve 9FA gas turbine’s reliability, as well as to lower its operation and maintenance costs.”
GE secures gas turbine order from IEC
Separately, GE has secured a contract from IEC from a second 9HA.01 heavy-duty gas turbine at the Orot Rabin plant, located in Hadera, Israel.
The GE gas turbine technology has been ordered as part of the conversion of the power station from coal to gas generation.
Currently, GE Power Israel is also handling the maintenance of the power plants of all of Israel’s major power producers, Dorad, Dalia Power Energies, OPC Hadera, the IEC (Eshkol and Tzafit sites), Nesher and Delek Ashkelon.