Overview
More than a decade ago, Algeria was facing severe electricity shortages during the summer, when temperatures can reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. The government needed to find a quick solution for cooling homes and businesses without waiting years to build large-scale power plants.
To help address the issue, Algerian officials called on GE Gas Power to install dozens of high-capacity gas turbines in northern Algeria and truck-mounted TM2500s in the rest of the country. Each TM2500 can deliver up to 36 megawatts (MW) of power and can operate efficiently at partial load. The turbines are also helping Algeria work toward its net-zero targets by balancing the power grid as solar plants are installed throughout the country.
Outcomes
peak daily temperature during summer in the Sahara region
TM2500 turbines operating in Algeria today
MW each turbine can produce
The TM2500 provides a baseload bridge to permanent power installations or for generating backup power in the wake of natural disasters, or in the case of plant shutdowns, grid instability, or isolated locations.
In 2013, Algeria was facing severe electricity shortages, especially during the summer. Rather than waiting years for large-scale power plants to be built, the government decided to address the problem using GE high-capacity gas turbines in the north and highly mobile TM2500s in the rest of the country.
Today, 38 TM2500 turbines operate at 18 sites in the Sahara Desert region and have a combined production capacity of up to 1.17 gigawatts (GW). They can operate reliably in the Sahara’s harsh, sandstorm-whipped environment and can be moved to different locations to help meet changing needs.
Each TM2500 can deliver up to 36 megawatts (MW) of electricity and can operate efficiently at partial load. This means two TM2500s can be operated at partial load without losing efficiency and can rapidly increase power to help meet any increase in demand or to compensate for the downtime of another turbine.
Algeria is working on building 15 GW of solar energy by 2035, with several solar power plants planned throughout the country. The TM2500s help balance the grid during the energy transition, meaning they can be turned on or off depending on weather and demand. In addition, the aeroderivative can operate using more environmentally sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, which, when blended with other fuels, fits with Algeria’s ambition to produce, use, and export low-carbon hydrogen.
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