OREANDA-NEWS. February 26, 2016. When you’re talking about the time between ordering equipment for a simple-cycle power plant and flipping the switch for power, seven months is a blink. It’s also the fast-track schedule for the Bouchemma power plant in Tunisia, where GE (NYSE: GE) will provide the turnkey project to Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (Soci?t? Tunisienne de l’Electricit? et du Gaz, or STEG). GE will supply equipment and services, including two 9E.03 gas turbines and the electrical Balance of Plant (eBOP), to help Tunisia avoid power outages in the coastal region during the 2016 summer tourist season.

The project will put more than 250 megawatts (MW) on the Tunisian grid, the equivalent power needed to supply more than 1.2 million Tunisian homes. GE will provide two heavy-duty gas turbines, generators, the control system, and the eBOP which includes electrical power transformers, the switchyard and associated equipment. In addition, GE will provide a two-year contractual services agreement (CSA) as part of the turnkey project, followed by an additional 10-year CSA.

Joe Mastrangelo, president and CEO, gas power systems at GE Power, said: “The strength of the GE Store, with our ability to combine great ideas and technologies across GE businesses, makes projects like this possible. GE gas power systems, power services and grid solutions, together with former Alstom products and expertise, form an unbeatable team, ready to go to work and quickly deliver the reliable power Tunisia requires to meet increasing demand.”

The Bouchemma plant will be located near the city of Gab?s on the Tunisian coast at a site where 9E gas turbine technology has been installed since the 1990s. This allows for the use of the existing gas and electric substation connections in order to accommodate the new units and quickly connect to the network.

STEG is responsible for producing, transmitting and distributing electricity and natural gas throughout Tunisia. GE has supported Tunisia’s efforts to develop its energy infrastructure for nearly two decades, including serving as the original equipment supplier for the Bir M’Cherga power plant, which started operating in 1998. GE has 15 turbines at seven plants in Tunisia, representing a total installed capacity of more than 1.8 gigawatts of electricity.

GE has been a partner in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region for nearly a century. Emphasizing innovation and technological advancements, GE technology produces approximately two-thirds of the region’s electricity and the company remains committed to the region's progress and prosperity through the waves of change and growth.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About GE Power

GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity industry with the digital power plant, the world’s largest and most efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable, reliable, accessible and sustainable.