The Umm Al Houl combined cycle power plant in Qatar has been inaugurated by Siemens, delivering almost a quarter of the country’s installed power generating capacity and providing up to 136 million imperial gallons of drinking water per day. It is the second-largest power plant in the country.
Located 15 kilometers south of Qatar’s capital Doha the plant consists of two blocks and uses six highly efficient Siemens SGT5-4000F gas turbines, generating a total of 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity. The plant ensures a robust and reliable power supply to support Qatar’s development plans, and will also accommodate major events and seasonal fluctuations in electricity demand.
“With Umm Al Houl we proved again our capability to execute large power plant projects on time and with the highest quality,” stated Willi Meixner, CEO of the Siemens Power and Gas Division. “The project underlines once more that power plant technology from Siemens has a strong reputation in Qatar and in the Arab Gulf region.”
The plant’s first fire took place in April 2017 with first power delivered in August 2017, and combined cycle running began in May 2018. To date, it has operated 10,000 equivalent operating hours on all six gas turbines.
“Siemens was central to the success of the power plant and given the role Umm Al Houl power plant will play as a strategic piece of infrastructure for the continued development of Qatar, it was essential for us to work with a reliable and efficient partner like Siemens. Given their performance on the project so far, we are confident in our long-term service partnership with them over the next 25 years,” said Jamal Khalaf, CEO of Umm Al Houl Power.
Siemens will also carry out a 25-year long-term service agreement for the Umm Al Houl power plant. This designed to improve the operating capabilities, flexibility and profitability of the power plant by boosting efficiency, reliability and availability throughout its entire lifecycle. The agreement will enable implementation of innovative service solutions through preventative maintenance, shortened lead times and on-site technical field assistance.