SIEMENS, a world leader in generation, transmission and distribution of power instruments, is offering its new 60-Hz version of the SGT-8000 gas turbine series to customers in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia being its target market.

Test operations of the turbine, which has already been ordered by customers in the US and Korea, are under way at  Siemens’ plant in Berlin, Germany, while a new drilling station for casing parts has been installed to make production of the turbines even more efficient.

Called the H Class, the new turbine series has the highest efficiency and output rating ever, according to Siemens. During a recent test run at the Irsching 4 combined cycle power plant in Germany, where the turbine is being installed,  Siemens says it wrote technology history by achieving an output of 578 MW and a record net efficiency of 60.75 per cent in combined cycle operation.

“Due to the rising global demand for electric power and against the background of the increasing but fluctuating contribution of renewable energy to the power supply, gas turbines for versatile and environmentally compatible power generation are in high demand worldwide,” points out Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO Energy, Siemens Middle East.
Customers from all over the world are showing great interest in the world’s most energy-efficient gas turbine, and the H Class is now being tested for the 60-Hz market, Siersdorfer says, adding that the turbine is ideal for the rapidly growing Saudi power generation market, because of its efficiency, cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

To date, Siemens’ gas turbine plant in Berlin has delivered more than 600 turbines  to customers all over the globe.
High-efficiency gas turbines and combined cycle power plants are part of Siemens’ environmental portfolio. In 2010, revenue from the portfolio totalled about €28 billion ($39.93 billion), making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of eco-friendly technologies. In the same period, Siemens products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 270 million tonnes, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore, according to the company.

Meanwhile, the Siemens Energy Sector is expected to establish its regional headquarters in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, UAE, following an agreement signed earlier this year.  Wolfgang Dehen, CEO of the Siemens Energy Sector, said the move marks the first time that Siemens is establishing the headquarters of one of its global divisions outside Germany.

The Siemens Energy Sector is a leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2010, it recorded revenues of €25.5 billion ($36.7 billion), received new orders totalling more than €30.1 billion ($43.4 billion) and posted a profit of more than €3.3 billion ($4.75 billion).