OREANDA-NEWS. July 05, 2012. Mass Global Investment Company (Mass Global), an independent power producer, has selected GE (NYSE: GE) steam turbine technology to increase the efficiency and the output of the Erbil Power Plant in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. In operation since late 2008, the Erbil plant plays a vital role in meeting the growing power needs of Kurdistan, Iraq.

Under the new agreement, GE will supply two steam turbines that will be used to convert the Erbil plant from simple to combined-cycle operation, boosting plant output by 500 megawatts, enough additional electricity to serve 100,000 Iraqi households. The agreement also includes installation services.

“Mass Global continues to be at the forefront of meeting the power requirements of the Kurdistan Iraq region,” said Ahmad Ismail, chairman of Mass Global. “Converting our Erbil facility to combined-cycle service supports the Kurdistan Regional Government’s policy to increase the thermal efficiency of its power generation facilities. This new agreement builds on our growing relationship with GE, a global technology leader, whose proven and reliable advanced energy technology has been employed in our gas power facilities since 2006.”

The project will increase thermal efficiency to more than 48 percent, making Erbil among the most efficient power plants in Iraq. The GE C-7 steam turbines will join eight GE Frame 9E gas turbines already operating at the site and further expands GE’s growing relationship with Mass Global.

“Today’s agreement reflects GE’s continuing commitment to support energy infrastructure growth in Northern Iraq and throughout the country,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s president and CEO for the Middle East. “It builds on our growing relationship with Mass Global, supporting its efforts to enable a reliable and efficient supply of electricity needed to fuel the growth and development of the Kurdistan region. This agreement also reflects GE’s ongoing commitment to support Iraq in boosting its power generation and infrastructure growth.”

The conversion marks Erbil power plant as the first combined-cycle project in the Kurdistan region and further expands GE’s growing relationship with Mass Global. This combined-cycle conversion power project in the country feature GE technology. There are 20 GE gas turbines installed in Mass Global projects today and last December, the two companies also signed a 12-year service agreement designed to support the efficient operations of the installed GE turbines as well as further build local technical expertise with a tailored training program for 30 Mass Global engineers.