Siemens providing long-term gas-fired turbine AI and machine learning upgrades for Jebel Ali power plant in Dubai

Siemens Energy will supply new controllers and other major upgrades as part of an extended service agreement for a Dubai power plant.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) signed Siemens to a new, 20-year long-term service agreement. The service term calls for a wide array of upgrades and supply of new technologies.

Among those, Siemens Energy will supply an intelligent controller for each of the four SGT5-4000F gas-fired turbines at the Jebel Ali L2 power and water station. This includes the SPPA-T3000 control system, as well as services for the plant’s generators and tools to improve operational flexibility and reduce outage times.

“This new agreement underscores the longstanding relationship we have with DEWA and the successes we’ve achieved together in bringing our advanced technologies and services to DEWA’s water and power facilities,” Karim Amin, executive vice president of Siemens’ generation division, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration for many years to come.”

The intelligent controller was co-developed by DEWA and Siemens Energy in 2019 and was touted by the companies as the world’s first thermodynamic Digital Twin Gas Turbine (GT) Intelligent Controller. The controller uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to systematically give power plant operators a complete and continuous overview and scenario-based assessment of power plant operations.

Developed and manufactured by Siemens Energy, the upgraded SPPA-T3000 control system features online patch update capabilities which enables continuous, safe plant operations during the update as it doesn’t require system shutdown. By having all equipment running on one control system, it also enhances planning for maintenance services and management of spare parts.

Upgrades for the SGT5-4000F gas turbines will enable interval extension between outages providing increased operational flexibility, allowing for a higher number of starts and reduction of outages by approximately 25 percent.

“DEWA is consolidating its leading position, both nationally and globally, by providing electricity and water services to the highest international standards of reliability, efficiency, availability and safety,” said Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation at DEWA. “Our strategic partnership with Siemens dates back over 30 years. Siemens Energy’s technologies contribute to around 53% of DEWA’s total generation capacity, enough power for more than 2.5 million residents in Dubai.”