The town of Duqm is part of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), one of the Middle East and North Africa’s largest economic zones. Because of its location, Duqm has not yet been connected to the national grid. In 2021, GE signed an agreement to build, own, and operate a power plant equipped with four of its TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines to provide up to 80 megawatts (MW) of power.
GE built the plant for the Centralized Utilities Company, Marafiq, which will sell the electricity to the Rural Areas Electricity Company, Tanweer, which provides power to regional users, including SEZAD.
“With rapid growth in the SEZAD, the commitment and completion that GE delivered on this 'fast track' power project was critical to our ability to meet our Power Purchase Agreement with Tanweer and serve SEZAD and its customers. This ensures SEZAD has access to the reliable, clean and cost-effective electricity that is required to facilitate the ongoing expansion and growth,” said Victor Ogg, General Manager of Project Development and Delivery for Marafiq.
In less than 200 days, Marafiq has started exporting up to 80 MW of power, helping Tanweer and SEZAD transition to a high-efficiency, low-emission power source quickly and smoothly.