General Electric (GE) said Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has awarded 5 stars to Waad Al Shamal, one of its major integrated solar and combined-cycle power plant projects, for maintaining environment, health and safety (EHS) standards.
With this recognition, Waad Al Shamal has become one of the key power plants under construction in Saudi Arabia to obtain a five-star rating for EHS performance from SEC.
For this project, GE is providing turnkey services, including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works, and supplying four GE 7F gas turbines; one steam turbine and four heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), as well as other equipment.
One of the turbines at the site is the first GE gas turbine rolled out locally in the kingdom by GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) - a joint venture (JV) between Dussur and GE.
SEC said it had set rigorous EHS protocols for project sites around workplace hygiene and housekeeping, lifting heavy loads, lighting and ventilation, waste management and other areas, with regular audits conducted by the Industrial Security Department.
To be granted a five-star rating, organisations not only have to meet the defined criteria but also have to demonstrate that they are continuously adhering to them, it stated.
GE has dedicated site leaders, staff training programs and its own internal audits to implement and monitor EHS standards at the Waad Al Shamal project.
President and CEO Fahad H Al Sudairi said: "At SEC, we continuously assess progress against strict measures meant to ensure occupational safety and health across all our offices, existing facilities and projects."
"We are delighted to work with an industry leader such as GE that has demonstrated a clear commitment to upholding strict EHS standards and congratulate them on this 5-star rating," he added.
GE Gas Power President and CEO (Mena and South Asia) Joseph Anis said: "At GE, the safety and protection of our people, projects, the environment and community at large, is of paramount importance."
"We are honoured by the five-star award granted by SEC and remain committed to further improving EHS standards at Waad Al Shamal and other GE projects, to set new benchmarks on power plant management – from construction to operations," he added.
According to GE officials, strict measures have been implemented to enable project staff to continue working safely following the Covid-19 outbreak.
These measures include thermal screening of everyone entering the site, daily active random screening of staff at site by medical personnel, daily disinfection and cleaning activities, distribution of mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks, Covid-19 awareness sessions, prevention training and educational materials in different languages, as well as other precautions, it stated.
GE had won the contract for SEC’s Waad Al Shamal project, which also includes 50 megawatts (MW) of solar power, in late 2015.
All four GE 7F gas turbines at the plant can now operate in simple cycle configuration. Combined cycle commissioning works are ongoing and once complete, the facility will be able to generate up to 1,390 megawatts of power, the equivalent electricity needed to supply over 500,000 Saudi homes.
