ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2003--GE Power Systems has signed a contractual service agreement (CSA) with ITM Operation and Maintenance Company Limited (ITM O&M Co. Ltd.) for the Umm Al Nar Power and Water Plant in Abu Dhabi. Valued at more than US$200 million, the agreement calls for GE to provide planned maintenance services for a period of up to 23 years for the five GE Frame 9FA
gas turbines at the Umm Al Nar site.
Jointly owned by International Power PLC and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), ITM O&M Co. Ltd. has been commissioned to operate and maintain the Umm Al Nar power plant, which will begin commercial operation in 2005. It is the first facility in the Gulf region to use GE's F technology
gas turbines.
GE will provide performance guarantees regarding output, heat rate and planned outage duration for the Frame 9FA
gas turbines throughout the term of the contract.
Jean-Claude Nasr, GE Power Systems' region leader for contractual services sales, Africa, India and Middle East, said, "Under our CSA program, we identify and share common goals with our customers to optimize plant availability and overall plant performance and output, and promote maximum efficiency of the machines. We invest in technology to not only meet but to surpass expected maintenance levels, giving our customers higher availability, output and efficiency.
"Because we routinely maintain thousands of turbines, our service teams can adopt procedures that have been successful elsewhere while our advanced monitoring and diagnostics tools identify trends and help reduce the risk of unplanned maintenance," he added.
Jim Blair, plant general manager for ITM O&M Co. Ltd., said, "For us, the benefits of this long-term maintenance agreement are two-fold: we can project our maintenance costs with a high degree of accuracy, and we can minimize the risk associated with the availability and parts life of the equipment installed."
The service agreement will enable ITM O&M Co. Ltd. to take advantage of GE's innovative technology and broad experience in turbine technology, sophisticated maintenance procedures, and worldwide service network.
The agreement provides a maintenance program customized to suit individual needs. In addition, the program includes all service, labor, parts, and repairs for planned and unplanned maintenance, along with performance guarantees tailored to the plant.
The Umm Al Nar power and water project, the largest of its kind in the Middle East with a total project cost of approximately US$2.1 billion, was recently acquired from Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority (ADWEA). The existing plant will be expanded, increasing its power generation capacity from 850 to 1,550 megawatts, in addition to its desalination capacity.
