In line with Iraq’s goal to improve the efficiency and availability of the country’s power plants, Siemens will provide inspection and upgrade services for two power generation units at Al-Sadder Power Plant.

Located in Baghdad, the 600-megawatts (MW) facility is one of the country’s major power plants that currently supplies approximately 600,000 homes with power. The works will be conducted as part of a new contract between Siemens’ Power Generation Services Division and the Ministry of Electricity.

Under the agreement, Siemens will overhaul two SGT5-2000E gas turbines and perform its advanced 3-dimensional turbine blades and vanes (Si3D) upgrade. The Si3D upgrade is designed to improve power output and thermal efficiency through a combination of 3D aerodynamic design, cooling improvements, and advanced materials. These will help the power assets at Al-Sadder to generate enough power to supply an additional 100,000 homes with electricity.

“Siemens has been a development partner to Iraq for over 80 years. We are committed to supporting the country to strengthen its power infrastructure by offering innovative services that can be instrumental in upgrading existing facilities,” said Gianluigi Di Giovanni, Senior Executive Vice President of Siemens Power Generation Services in the Middle East and North Africa. “The latest upgrade and maintenance services at Al-Sadder, provided in collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity, will bring additional power to households, public buildings and industries.”

In addition to increasing the power output, the upgrade project will improve the efficiency of the turbines by up to 2 percent, resulting in significant fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions. The agreement also includes the plant’s SPPA-T3000 control system, the supply of anti-virus solutions as well as the support from Siemens’ Remote Expert Center, which is a 24/7 online maintenance support service, enabling more efficient fault diagnosis and troubleshooting.

The latest project at Al-Sadder plant follows a series of service agreements with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity to carry out critical service and maintenance works at six power plants throughout the country. Once completed, the upgraded units will add 1,350 MW to the national grid, enough to supply approximately 20 million Iraqis with reliable electricity.

(Source: Siemens)