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Saudi Arabia power plant aids 66,000MW electricity generation

The plant, which went on full stream in July 2014, consists of 18 advanced gas units with a capacity of 137MW for each unit. (Image source: Danielle Bourgeois/Flickr)

The electricity generation from Qurayyah Independents Power Plant in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia makes up eight per cent of the kingdom?s total electricity power generation that reached 66,000MW, according to a report

A total of US$3.7bn has so far been spent on the plant since its inception seven years ago, reported the Saudi Gazette, citing a senior government official.

?The gas and fuel oil-fired combined cycle power station was able to increase its efficiency to 54 per cent during 2016 compared to 33 per cent in the previous year. Power generation from the plant reached 4,457MW during summer season and rose to 4,850MW in the winter season,? said Ziyad Al Shammari, director of the plant.

The combined cycle power station, the first-of-its-kind in the world, is situated along the Gulf coast. The plant, which went on full stream in July 2014, consists of 18 advanced gas units with a capacity of 137MW for each unit and six steam units with a capacity of 260MW for each unit. Three gas units are linked with one steam unit and there are six power complexes within the premises.

The project is being developed on a ?build, own and operate? basis with financing from several international and local banks. It is the most efficient power project of its kind in the Kingdom and one of the largest in the world, according to Al Shammari, and he noted that the plant achieved 82 per cent Saudisation already.