Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), and SEPCOIII consortium signed a full turnkey contract today with Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, to expand Power Station 5 at Alba, adding a new 680.9 megawatts (MW) Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Block.

“Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, is on course to start the construction works for its fourth additional block in Power Station 5,” as stated by the Chairman of Alba’s Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, during the signing ceremony with Mitsubishi Power & SEPCOIII consortium on Monday 16 May 2022 at Al Oasis Hall in Alba.

Present at the signing ceremony were Mr. Hideshi Kawamoto, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Ltd., Dr. Javier Cavada, President and CEO for EMEA Region at Mitsubishi Power, Khalid Salem, President of Mitsubishi Power Middle East and North Africa region and GTCC Business Unit Leader, EMEA, SEPCOIII Vice President Mr. Kong Lingfeng as well as the CEO of Alba, Mr. Ali Al Baqali, CPO Mr. Amin Sultan and other senior officials.

Under the terms of the contract, Mitsubishi Power & SEPCOIII consortium will be responsible to design, engineer, procure, construct and commission a 680.9 megawatts (MW) Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Block. Mitsubishi Power will supply a combined cycle power unit, which comprises of M701JAC gas turbine, an air-cooled version of J-series gas turbines and a steam turbine. Introduced nearly a decade ago, the J-series gas turbines, which are Mitsubishi Power’s largest and most advanced, deliver an unmatched combination of 99.6 percent reliability and greater than 64 percent efficiency. The fleet has logged more than 1.7 million operating hours globally. The gas turbine’s industry-leading operational flexibility will enable Alba to continue securing highly efficient and reliable power. To meet future decarbonization needs globally, JAC gas turbines are capable of using up to 30% hydrogen fuel by volume, to reach 100% hydrogen fuel in the future with minimal existing infrastructure modification.

Adding further, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa said:
“We are thrilled to add a fourth block into Power Station 5 to bring its power output to more than 2.4 gigawatts (GW). Investing in efficient gas turbine, our latest ambitious power project, will accelerate our ESG transition and enable Alba to reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions as we embrace Bahrain’s objectives to reach Net Zero by 2060.

We are also excited to partner with Mitsubishi Power & SEPCOIII consortium, and we look forward to achieving all milestones together and as per schedule.”

Commenting on the agreement signature, Hideshi Kawamoto, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Power Ltd. and Senior Fellow, Deputy Head of Energy Transition & Power Headquarters of Energy Systems, MHI, said: “At Mitsubishi Power, we are proud to support Alba and the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve their sustainable development goals by providing our advanced technology. Working with our partners, SEPCOIII, we are committed to help Alba, the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, meet its operational efficiency and decarbonization goals, with our hydrogen-ready J-series gas turbine technology that leads the world in efficiency and reliability.”

Mr. Kawamoto added: “The Alba Power Station 5, Block 4 Project aligns with our mission to empower our customers with the most advanced, innovative and clean energy solutions, and our ongoing commitment to help the Middle East and North Africa region achieve a robust, reliable and resilient energy infrastructure that brings it one step closer towards a carbon neutral society.”

SEPCOIII Vice President, Mr. Kong Lingfeng said: “We are delighted to work with Alba on the landmark Alba Power Station 5 Block 4 project with our partners Mitsubishi Power. SEPCOIII will deliver a state-of-the-art power plant with superior turnkey project execution expertise that meet the highest levels of quality and safety and Mitsubishi Power’s industry-leading gas turbine technology, to demonstrate Alba’s aluminium industry leadership. In addition, we are committed to provide efficient and clean energy throughout the construction of this project, in line with SEPCOIII’s mission to build excellent projects, fulfilling customers’ aspirations and promoting the welfare of society, which will contribute to Alba’s sustainable and green development strategy.”

Mitsubishi Power will further leverage decades of experience and innovation to build and supply the power technology, including the gas turbine, steam turbine, generators, and auxiliaries, in addition to providing technical support, with commercial operations set to begin in Q4 2024.