GE Energy has received a contract of more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion) to supply equipment to power the world’s largest aluminum processing complex at a single site. The Emirates Aluminum (Emal) production facility is located close to the Arabian Gulf near Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, in the UAE.
Using natural gas as its primary fuel, the power plant will feature Frame 9FA gas turbines, C7 steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators and condensers, all provided by GE Energy.
When Phase One of the project is complete, the site will have an installed capacity of more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity to be used in the production of 700,000 tonnes of aluminum per annum. Total production capacity during Phase Two will reach 1.4 million tonnes of aluminum, providing an example of technological advancement in the UAE as well as a cornerstone for the ongoing development of the region’s industrial sector. 
“Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman are investing billions of dollars to build smelters, utilising the region’s abundant and relatively inexpensive natural gas as a primary source for power generation,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s executive for the Middle East. “Emal’s world-class greenfield complex will set new standards for the aluminum industry in the Middle East.” 
Anis said GE had seen over the past year a growing number of opportunities in the Middle East and worldwide where it could apply its gas turbine technology for projects where power was primarily used by its customers for industrial processes.  “The Emal project illustrates our ongoing commitment to supply gas turbines with the reliability and flexibility to meet the demands of these applications,” the official added. 
SNC- Lavalin of Canada and Worley Parsons of Australia have formed a joint partnership to serve as the engineering, procurement and construction management contractors for the project.
“This project is a cornerstone of the enhanced industrial sector that is planned to help pursue Abu Dhabi’s vision for a diverse and sustainable economy,” said Duncan Hedditch, CEO of Emal. “The companies supporting this project, such as GE, all have solid records for implementing successful projects in the past.”
In addition to benefiting the UAE economy, Emal is committed to the environment and making sure the production facility meets environmental standards set by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. 
The Emal project further expands GE Energy’s growing presence in Abu Dhabi and the region. “The Middle East is one of the most important growth areas for GE Energy in the world today,” noted Anis. “Since the end of 2006, we have announced more than $4 billion in projects across the region.”
 GE Energy has been active in the Middle East since the 1930s, and today has regional offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt, along with local service centres in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. The company also has opened power plant offices in the region to oversee local projects.