Siemens Presents New Turbine to Ghana
German engineering giant Siemens has presented its latest generation technology to partners in Ghana, a 44MW aero-derivative gas turbine for mobile power generation.
Launched into the global market this March, the new turbine is aimed mainly at improving generation in emerging economies lacking infrastructure.
“There is a tremendous need for electricity in Ghana,“ Andreas Pistauer, Siemens executive vice president for Power and Gas in Africa, told Ghana News Agency, adding that the innovative technology is a rapid solution that can help cut cost of electricity for local consumers.
Siemens plans to develop in Ghana many gas-fired power projects and, in this context, has already partnered with various local firms including Ghanaian oil services contractor Draper Oil and Gas.
“Siemens is committed to collaborating with Ghanaian companies to ensure improved energy availability, building local expertise and economic growth through job creation,” said Edmund Acheampong, CEO of Siemens Ghana.
The German manufacturer is currently working to provide Italy’s Eni with two gas compression packages at its onshore receiving facility in Sanzule in western Ghana that will receive gas from the Eni-led offshore OCTP oil and gas fields and provide 180mn ft3/d (1.9bn m3/yr) to fuel local power generation. Eni produced first oil from the offshore OCTP fields in May this year and expects to supply first gas next year.
Ghana could become a net power exporter to the region in the next four years, according to the World Bank, with an exportable surplus of 1.5GW by then – much of it fired by gas from the already operating Jubilee and TEN offshore fields (both Tullow-operated), and next year OCTP too. Until then, there is a shortage of gas for existing power plants in the country – with one LNG import project stalled, and intermittent or no imports arriving through the West African Gas pipeline from Nigeria.
At present, a lot of mobile power plants are fueled by costly diesel, or else pollutive fuel oil. Turkey's Karadeniz Energy has supplied floating 'Karpowerships' to Ghana with dual-fueling capability -- heavy fuel oil (HFO) and natural gas -- but to date they are using primarily only HFO.
Olivier de Souza