GE Secures Equipment Contract to Power the Biggest Power Plant in Senegal

GE announced today that it has secured an order to supply gas power generation equipment for West Africa Energy’s 300 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power project in Cap des Biches, Dakar, Senegal. Upon completion, the Cap des Biches plant will be the biggest power plant in the country and is expected to generate nearly 25% of the power consumed, providing the equivalent electricity needed to power up to 500,000 Senegalese homes. 

The plant is expected to begin operations in phases starting in 2022, enhancing universal access to electricity and supporting the Senegalese Government’s target to increase its generation capacity with a greater utilization of natural gas and renewables. 

“We are pleased to collaborate with GE to deliver reliable and efficient gas turbines to Senegal, aligned with the country’s strategy on gas to power under the leadership of President Macky Sall to develop the energy sector that will be critical for the development of strategic sectors of the economy, while actively driving localization initiatives,” said Samuel Sarr, CEO of West African Energy. “Once completed, the project will also go a long way in reducing the cost of electricity in the country,” he added.

GE will supply two 9E.03 gas turbines, one STF-A200 steam turbine, three A39 generators, two Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) and additional balance of plant equipment as part of the project scope. 

“Over the last decade, GE has been building on a proven track record of delivering and commissioning power projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, and we are delighted to continue this trend by providing our gas power  technology to support the expected renewables growth in the country,” said Elisee Sezan, CEO for GE's Gas Power business in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Cap des Biches Power Plant in Senegal represents another opportunity to use gas-fired generators as an ideal complement to variable renewable resources because they can change power levels quickly, turn down to low levels when demand is lower, and start rapidly. All of these attributes enable gas turbines to work in concert with renewables to maintain reliability in a power system. The plant will provide flexible power to Senegal and help improve the quality of people’s lives,” he added.

The 9E gas turbine is a robust, proven platform that delivers high availability, reliability, and durability at a lower cost-per-kilowatt. In 2020, GE’s 9E gas turbine fleet celebrated 40 years of operations globally. It has a large installed base of over 650 units in the world located primarily in Asia, China, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The STF-A200 steam turbine’s configuration is well-suited for this plant with a wide operating range to help meet the needs of a grid with a large amount of renewables. GE’s fleet of STF-A200 has demonstrated high reliability and availability and continues to deliver advanced performance.

GE has been collaborating with energy stakeholders to deploy innovative technologies tailored to respond to the needs of the Sub-Saharan Africa region since the 1950s with reliable baseload and flexible power. In 2018, the company celebrated its 100th power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa and today, up to 17 GW of gas power generation runs on GE gas turbines. GE delivers across the entire energy ecosystem from generation to transmission and distribution and throughout the region, GE-built technologies are supported by GE local service and maintenance teams working together and in close co-operation with FieldCore — the field services execution team owned by GE to help ensure access to reliable and sustainable energy.

Cap des Biches combined-cycle gas turbine power plant is being developed by Senegal’s West African Energy and will be built by Turkish engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company, Calik Enerji.