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Gas Power

GE Vernova and Saudi Electricity Company complete first Saudi-led gas turbine maintenance project

7 min read
  • GE Vernova’s Saudi engineers and specialists lead the first gas turbine outage at SEC's 8th power plant in Riyadh 

  • Complex task requires skilled personnel with extensive training and practical experience, including special certifications and accreditation

     

  • Strategic collaboration supports Vision 2030 and local talent development

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA (March 24, 2025) - GE Vernova, Inc. (NYSE: GEV) and Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) have announced the successful completion of the first gas turbine outage entirely planned and executed by GE Vernova’s Saudi engineers and specialists. This project at SEC's 8th power plant in Riyadh highlights both companies' commitment to fostering local talent and promoting localization within Saudi Arabia's energy sector, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

This achievement comes just months after GE Vernova, in the presence of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, celebrated the successful rollout of the first H-class gas turbine unit completed at the GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT) facility in Dammam.

The 8th power plant in Riyadh is a strategic facility that plays a crucial role in addressing the growing electricity demands of the capital. With a production capacity exceeding 1,700 megawatts, it significantly enhances the stability of the electrical grid in Riyadh and its surrounding areas. The plant comprises several blocks, one of which is equipped with four of GE Vernova’s 7F gas turbines, collectively capable of producing close to 500 megawatts.

The maintenance, led by GE Vernova’s Gas Power One Field Services team in collaboration with SEC’s teams, was crucial for ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the power generation assets. It required meticulous planning and execution, demonstrating the culmination of a decade of comprehensive training, certifications, accreditations, practical experience, and professional development for Saudi talent.

Male and female Saudi engineers and specialists at the 8th power plant prioritized rigorous safety protocols and successfully completed the project on schedule, supported by GE Vernova’s Live Outage platform. This digital tool enhances field execution through standardized procedures, streamlined tasks and safety best practices.

GE Vernova’s power plant outage services team brings extensive experience in optimizing power plant performance through expert maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. This Saudi-led initiative marks a pivotal step in enhancing plant efficiency and the long-term reliability of power units.

Engineer Abdulaziz Saeed Al-Shumaila, Head of Power Generation Operations in the Central Region, Saudi Electricity Company, said, “We are committed to providing reliable and stable power supply for the Kingdom. GE Vernova’s Saudi-led outage at the 8th power plant marks a new era in the Saudi power sector, underscoring our commitment to driving innovation and developing local talent. Through our strategic collaboration with GE Vernova, we aim to empower more Saudi engineers and specialists to assume advanced leadership and technical roles within the Kingdom’s robust energy ecosystem. This collaboration will also contribute to local skills development initiatives, supporting the achievement of Vision 2030 goals.”

Hisham Al Bahkali, President of GE Vernova, Saudi Arabia, noted, “Our successful maintenance project at Riyadh’s 8th power plant showcases the Kingdom's local talent in driving a more sustainable energy future, directly supporting Vision 2030. This achievement demonstrates Saudi engineers' capabilities in managing complex energy projects. Our ongoing collaboration with SEC will further advance the Kingdom’s energy transformation and cultivate national competencies.”

He added, “This accomplishment caps a remarkable year for GE Vernova in Saudi Arabia, notably the rollout of the first H-Class gas turbine at the GESAT facility. This advanced turbine is set to power the Jafurah Cogeneration Independent Steam and Power Plant (ISPP), highlighting our commitment to supporting national strategies, including Vision 2030.”

In 2024, GE Vernova secured its largest-ever Middle East & Africa order for six 7HA.03 gas turbines, two 7E.03 units, and a 21-year maintenance agreement for Saudi Arabia's Taiba 1 and Qassim 1 power plants. The company also completed FEED studies exploring decarbonization options for three Saudi Arabian cogeneration plants, potentially reducing carbon emissions using pre- and post-combustion technologies.

For nearly 90 years, GE Vernova has contributed to Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, supporting economic diversification, localization, and talent development. Employing more than 850 people in Saudi Arabia, GE Vernova’s investments include the GE Manufacturing and Technology Center (GEMTEC) campus in Dammam, which features a Service and Repairs Center for gas turbines, the GE MENA Decarbonization Center of Excellence, and GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT).

With its spin-off from GE and commencement of independent trading on the NYSE on April 2, 2024, GE Vernova’s extensive technology base - including approximately 55,000 wind turbines and 7,000 gas turbines - plays a vital role in the energy transition in Saudi Arabia and around the world.

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About GE Vernova

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) is a purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification segments and is supported by its accelerator businesses. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., with approximately 85,000 employees across approximately 100 countries around the world. Supported by the Company’s purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova technology helps deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future.

GE Vernova’s Gas Power business engineers advanced, efficient natural gas-powered technologies and services, along with decarbonization solutions that aim to help electrify a lower carbon future. It is a global leader in gas turbines and power plant technologies and services with the industry’s largest installed base. 

© 2025 GE Vernova and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
GE and the GE Monogram are trademarks of General Electric Company used under trademark license.

Press Resources
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GE Vernova's all-Saudi team at the Saudi Electricity Company's PP8 power plant in Riyadh
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GE Vernova's all-Saudi team at the Saudi Electricity Company's PP8 power plant in Riyadh
Image credit: GE Vernova
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GE Vernova's all-Saudi team at the Saudi Electricity Company's PP8 power plant in Riyadh
Image credit: GE Vernova
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Mahmoud Fansa
GE Vernova | Communications, Middle East and Africa
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Electrification Software

GE Vernova Provides GridOS® Orchestration Software to Help West African Power Pool (WAPP) Facilitate Energy Exchange Among Its Member States

7 min read

LAGOS, Nigeria, October 24, 2024 – GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) today announced that its GridOS® orchestration software is deployed in the newly completed Information and Coordination Centre (ICC) in Abomey-Calavi, Benin for the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the region’s energy landscape. The recently inaugurated ICC will serve as the centralized command centre for the mainland member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), overseeing the interconnected power grids of 14 nations, namely Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. This milestone marks a significant step towards establishing a unified power market across the region, paving the way for a more reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy infrastructure for West Africa.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Africa Energy Outlook 2022 report¹, Africa's GDP is expected to grow by an average of 4.6% per year between 2022 and 2040. This economic growth is expected to drive up energy demand by 2.8% per year, with electricity consumption expected to double by 2040. By expanding power capacity, enhancing forecasting capabilities, and ensuring a seamless balance between generation and demand across borders, the West Africa Power Pool powered by the ICC is bridging the gap between energy needs and reliable supply.

The ICC is a state-of-the art facility equipped with the latest electric grid management technologies. Elements of GE Vernova’s GridOS software portfolio are deployed in the facility to enable more secure, reliable grid orchestration. The software is designed to help utilities achieve the resiliency and flexibility needed for a more sustainable energy grid. The ICC is using several of the portfolio’s intelligent grid applications, including:

  • Energy Management System (EMS) engineered for dispatching
  • Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) designed for grid stability
  • Advanced Market Management System designed to support the trading of power among ECOWAS countries

The ICC technology platform has also been upgraded with GE Vernova’s GridOS forecasting solution to enhance the value of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) on the electricity market with advanced forecasting and ramping tools. Through this integration, engineers will have near real-time access to data on energy flow across the WAPP interconnected network, enabling them to monitor, analyze, and optimize the distribution of power.

"We are honored to partner with WAPP in their mission to promote and develop power generation and transmission infrastructures, as well as to coordinate power exchange among the ECOWAS member states. Our GridOS portfolio provides the ICC with modern software capabilities to automate grid operations and help increase the energy transaction rate across the region, helping overcome energy challenges in the ECOWAS zone," said Mahesh Sudhakaran, General Manager for GE Vernova’s Grid Software business.

GE Vernova has long worked with national electric utilities and regional power pools from the region, helping them adopt best-in-class technologies for grid modernization. In November 2022, the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) inaugurated a new Coordination Control Center equipped with the latest Energy Management System (EMS) from GE Vernova’s Grid Software business. With more projects underway, GE Vernova is proud to be contributing to the energy transition in Africa.

¹https://www.iea.org/reports/africa-energy-outlook-2022

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Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements – that is, statements related to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These forward-looking statements often address GE Vernova’s expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and the expected performance of its products, the impact of its services and the results they may generate or produce, often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “target,” “preliminary,” or “range.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about planned and potential transactions, investments or projects and their expected results and the impacts of macroeconomic and market conditions and volatility on the Company’s business operations, financial results and financial position and on the global supply chain and world economy.

About GE Vernova

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) is a purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification segments and is supported by its accelerator businesses. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., with more than 75,000 employees across 100+ countries around the world. Supported by the Company’s purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova technology helps deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future. Learn more: GE Vernova and LinkedIn. GE Vernova’s Electrification Software business is focused on delivering the intelligent applications and insights needed to accelerate electrification and decarbonization across the entire energy ecosystem – from how it’s created, how it’s orchestrated, to how it’s consumed. Its Grid Software business and GridOS® portfolio is trusted by global utilities to orchestrate a more sustainable energy grid and help deliver reliable and affordable electricity to their customers.

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© 2024 GE Vernova and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
GE is a trademark of General Electric Company and is used under trademark license

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GridOS® deployed in a utility control room setting
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West African Power Pool (WAPP) facility
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WAPP control room
Image credit: WAPP
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Rachael Van Reen
GE Vernova | External Communications, Electrification Software
Winnie Gathage
GE Vernova | Africa Communications Business Partner