Jordan's National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) has commissioned the 485MW ACWA Power Zarqa combined cycle power plant.
Image: A GE-built gas turbine. Photo: courtesy of General Electric.
Located to the north-east of Zarqa city, the independent power project (IPP) has capacity to generate electricity equivalent to meet the power needs of up to 350,000 Jordanian households.
Constructed next to the decommissioned Hussein Thermal Power Station (HTPS), the project is capable of operating at over 51% combined cycle efficiency, thus requiring lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated.
Claimed to be the most efficient of its kind in Jordan, the project features three GE Power-developed 9E gas turbines, three heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) and one steam gas turbine generator. It also comprises six stacks, one for each gas turbine and HRSG.
NEPCO is responsible for supplying natural gas for the project through a new gas pipeline which connects with the Jordan’s main gas pipeline.
GE’s Gas Power Systems projects business in the Middle East, Pakistan and India president and CEO Mohamad Ali said: “GE’s 9E gas turbines are an excellent fit for Jordan as they operate reliably and efficiently in extreme conditions such as desert heat and offer tremendous versatility and fuel flexibility, capable of running on more than 50 different kinds of fuels, thus allowing NEPCO to utilize more economical fuels and leading to lower costs of power production.”
ACWA Power is the developer of the plant while SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
The IPP supports Jordan’s Vision 2025 to boost economic growth and the National Energy Strategy, which aims to boost power generation capacity by 40% by 2020.
ACWA Power president and CEO Paddy Padmanathan said: “The completion of construction and commencement of operations of the ACWA Power Zarqa plant represents our pragmatic approach to serving the power needs of growing countries and communities while increasing efficiency and delivering power at low cost.
“The fact that this project is capable of delivering electricity at one of the lowest tariffs in the country is a source of great pride to us.”