General Electric is to provide three 25MW aeroderivative gas turbines to GEL Utility Limited (GEL) in Nigeria.
GEL is to install the trailer-mounted turbines at Nigerian’s National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) state oil refinery at Port Harcourt to overcome chronic local grid outages and generate uninterruptible power. The engines are designed to provide baseload and backup power to support refinery operations.
The 49-year-old Port Harcourt facility is the country’s largest oil refinery and aims to regain full capacity for refining from its present 30% output. It has a total maximum capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.
“This project was not only important in getting the refinery back into full operation, but also to support Nigeria’s long-term economic interests by achieving optimum refining capacity,” said GEL chief executive Akinowole Omoboriowo.
The chronic power outages have forced Nigeria to import large amounts of refined petroleum to meet the electricity demand. The installation of General Electric’s turbines is to reduce the imports.
The units will start operations this month.
GEL signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Nigerian National Power Petroleum Corporation to modernise also two other refineries in the country.