Taher Abu Gouda, general manager of global repair solutions at General Electric (GE) services centre for maintenance in the Middle East and Africa, said that GE became number one worldwide in the field of energy services and solutions, after buying the Alstom Company.
He told Daily News Egypt that GE has generated two-thirds of the energy produced in the Middle East and North Africa, where it has supplied roughly 170 turbines to Egypt since entering the Egyptian market. He added that GE also owns a factory in Saudi Arabia for the manufacturing of powerplant turbines and another centre for power plant maintenance.
Abou Gouda pointed out that 30% of the energy produced in Egypt is generated by GE equipment, and that the company currently owns 50 maintenance centres around the world after having established 20 centres over the past few years.
Abu Gouda disclosed that the centre carried out maintenance on 1,300 turbines in Egypt.
The company wants to increase its investments in the repair solutions services centre in Jebel Ali in Dubai during the coming period to cope with an increase in projects and the number of turbines that are being installed, in addition to updating them constantly in order to increase the strength and the presence of the company in the region. He pointed out that GE’s maintenance centres serve roughly 150 countries around the world.
Abou Gouda explained that repairs solutions service centre is built on a 4,000 sqm area, and offers major repairs services for gas turbines. He claimed it is the only high-speed balancing centre and electrical testing facility in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan.
He added that the centre provides repair services for gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, and boilers. GE also offers field services including blade replacements and repair, machinery and engine repairs, and provides major maintenance solutions.
The general manager said that the centre has noticed energy demands are growing by 8% in the region annually. Peak energy demand in Egypt is expected to reach 30,000 MW by 2020 and 33,400 megawatts in the United Arab Emirates.
Abou Gouda claimed the GE services centre is considered to be one of a kind the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. This centre is distinguished by its international standards in providing services, and its regional presence and reliance on local investments.Joseph Anis, chairperson and CEO of power services at GE in the Middle East and Africa, said GE offers full services for fleet turbines that contribute to meeting the growing demands of the population for reliable and sustainable electricity with high efficiency.
He explained that the centre will contribute to supporting the Middle East and North Africa’s efforts to meet the growing demand for electricity resources in light of the population growth and the development of infrastructure projects.
Anis said that according to the World Energy Council, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will need 10,000 additional megawatts of power over the next 10 years, with investments of more than $50bn to provide new possibilities for generating energy.
GE services centre provides services to more than 25 countries in the region, and contributes to saving time and money while providing a high standard for services with a great regional presence, besides relying on local investments, according to Anis.
The centre helps customers to prolong the intervals between maintenance operations, and benefit from competitive prices and services that are compatible with the highest international quality standards.
