Siemens announced on 11 December that it has signed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts worth around €700m with the General Electricity Company of Libya (Gecol) to build two power plants. The company will build a 690MW open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plant in Tripoli West using four E-class gas turbines and a 650MW OCGT plant in Misrata with two F-class turbines.
“Around 30% of Libya’s installed power generation capacity is based on Siemens technology that delivers electricity for 2m people”, said chief executive of Siemens’ power and gas division Willi Meixner. “After completion, the power plants in Misrata and Tripoli West will help the country to solve the ongoing challenges caused by frequent and unpredictable power cuts.”
The development comes after a summer of power cuts, when the power supply deficit was in the region of 1,800MW. A $400m contract was signed with Greece’s Mytilineos to build a 650MW OCGT plant in Tobruk on 27 September. The proposed plant will use four General Electric GT13E2 gas turbines. Questions remain over Gecol’s ability to finance the plants.
