Taqa Plans Electricity Plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Taqa, in partnership with Jera Co. and Saudi Aramco, has secured its second significant contract in Saudi Arabia, this time for the construction of a greenfield industrial steam and electricity cogeneration plant in Jubail. This plant will serve the Amiral petrochemical complex, a major project in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom.

Scheduled to be operational by 2027, the Taqa-Jera cogeneration plant will provide up to 475MW of power generation and 452 tons per hour of steam using advanced combined cycle gas-fired technology.

The agreement, termed a 'power and steam purchase agreement', involves Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies.

This project follows Taqa's previous success in securing a contract for a water reservoir in Saudi Arabia earlier last January. The Amiral petrochemical complex is poised to house one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf region.

The cogeneration plant will boast advanced power and steam generation systems, along with gas and water receiving systems and gas insulated switchgear interconnections. Moreover, there are plans for potential future installations such as a carbon dioxide capture plant and capabilities for hydrogen co-firing.

Ownership of the Amiral cogeneration plant will be through a special purpose entity, with Taqa holding 51% and Jera holding 49%, operating on a 25-year build, own, and operate basis, with a provision for extension by five years subject to mutual agreement. Operation and maintenance will be handled by a separate special purpose entity.

Farid Al Awlaqi, CEO of Taqa Generation, expressed confidence in Taqa's ability to deliver critical utilities effectively, emphasizing the significance of the offtake agreements for the cogeneration power and steam project at the Amiral petrochemical facility.