Natural Gas

Why Natural Gas?  In September 2013, Qatar’s General Electricity & Water Corporation (KM) issued a RFB for the Facility D Independent Power and Water Project. Following a competitive bidding process, the Gas fired Facility D project was awarded.  The PWPA requires the Company to develop, finance, construct, commission, operate and maintain the Project over a 25-year term including a direct agreement with Qatar Petroleum FSA for natural gas fuel supply to be delivered to UHP, as required, to follow the seasonal demand for power and water in the state of Qatar.

Answer:  Using natural gas fuel afforded the project the opportunity to demonstrate the lowest emissions (of Nox) and highest efficiency (lowest potential CO2 emissions) combined cycle plant of its type to comply with strict development and financing requirements.

The Benefits.  The power plant configuration is based on two combined cycle power blocks, each block consisting of three purely gas fired GTG’s exhausting into three associated HRSG’s fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction units and ammonia injection to ensure the prevailing emissions limit for NOx of 9ppm is maintained and to provide steam to two STG’s and the MSF plant.  The water plant consists of five MSF evaporation DS units and the RO plant which comprises a number of pre-treatment stages and a two-pass RO installation.

Umm Al Houl is the largest IWPP incorporating both RO and thermal desalination technology within an IPP in Qatar and one of the largest Hybrid IWPP in the region. The RO plant being the largest of its size in Qatar enables flexible water production over the year with least cost water production.

The Facility is designed and constructed to provide a combined cycle power generation plant that shall deliver 2,520 MW of dependable power capacity and a combined MSF and RO desalination plant that shall deliver 136.5 MIGD of dependable water capacity, of which 60 MIGD shall be of RO technology. The Facility is designed and equipment and materials selected to provide an operational flexibility and highest efficiency over the entire seasonal load range between Summer and Winter loads whilst still maintaining near full water production. Such a high efficiency plant contributes to lower annual fuel consumption and hence lower overall CO2 emissions as a key benefit.