GE to install 2.75-MW wind turbine for Saudi Aramco

US conglomerate General Electric Co (NYSE:GE) will install a demo 2.75-MW wind turbine for Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) that is expected to displace diesel as a power generation source at one of the refiner’s bulk plants.

The 2.75-120 machine will be erected at the Turaif Bulk Plant in the Northern Borders Province, close to the border with Jordan, GE said on Wednesday. This will be the first time the US group installs this type of turbine in the region, it noted, adding that the machine has been customised to fit the climate conditions in Saudi Arabia.

The project is in line with Saudi Arabia’s goal of installing 9.5 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 under its Vision 2030 plan. It also aligns with Saudi Aramco’s fuel optimisation programme, the company’s vice president of power systems Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi said.

In view of the suitable weather conditions, Saudi Arabia’s Northern Region is regarded as a potentially viable location for wind farm construction. According to the Renewable Energy Atlas, the northeast, central and western regions of the Kingdom have high wind speeds of around 8.0 m/s.

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