Subiya Oil-Fired Power Plant, Kuwait

Stage one of the Subiya oil-fired power plant in Kuwait is complete. Eight 300MW boilers and turbines are now producing 2,400MW and up to 12 MIGD drinking water at the $2.2bn Subiya 1 plant. Subiya II will be gas fired, and will increase drinking water production to 96 MIGD.

Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water embarked on the 2,400MW Subiya project in the north of the country in 1989. The station was planned to provide support for existing power stations under emergency situations, and to ensure comfortable coverage of potential power demand.

The contract was disrupted by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The project was then delayed first by higher priority projects and then because of the decline in population and power consumption. Contract agreements were finally renewed in 1994. Subiya I has a total full-load cooling water demand of 100m³/s, increased with Subiya II to 148m³/s. The cooling supply is from the seawater at Khor Al-Subiya, and wastewater will be discharged into Kuwait Bay.

MITSUBISHI INSTALLS EIGHT 300MW BOILERS

Under the reopened contract, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd resumed work to expand the Subiya I oil-fired power plant in 1994. Mitsubishi engaged in the construction work on a full turnkey basis, including assembly and installation of eight 300MW boilers and turbines.

The first unit was hydraulically tested in December 1997 and entered service in April 1998. Early in 1998 the overall project had been running behind schedule because of problems with overhead transmission lines. The project was however completed near schedule by 2000.

The 2,400MW plant cost around $2.2bn. On completion, Subiya I brought the country a reserve margin possibly as high as 100% (around 10,000MW of capacity versus current peak loads of around 4,500MW).

Six GE Energy LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine generators (derived from GE's CF6-80C2 aircraft turbofans) were planned for shipping to Subiya II by January 2008, and are expected to power up before the end of the year. The generators were supplied to Alghanim International. Alghanim acts as the local and regional representative for several international construction firms and participates in international construction projects.

SUBIYA CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries won the lead contract for Subiya I. It provided eight steam turbines and generators, boilers and other equipment and services in a contract worth around $1.6bn. Coupled with successes in Saudi Arabia, the order confirmed the group's leading role in the Middle East.

Several groups won secondary Subiya I contracts. Hyundai Engineering & Construction and local partner United Gulf Construction Company were awarded a $450m civil works assignment and a related, smaller, T&D contract. The Korean group held off competition from local, UK and French construction groups.

Merz and McLellan, a subsidiary of the engineering and construction company Parsons Brinckerhoff, provided consultancy services. Merz and McLellan was another company able to renegotiate a pre-invasion contract on this project.

Hongkong Electric's Associated Technical Services arm also had a role as consultant engineers. CCC, a Greek construction firm, installed the fuel lines under a $100m contract. Indian group UB Engineering won an $18m contract for mechanical erection of the boilers. British Steel supplied steel components.

INTAKE CHANNEL DESIGN

A study by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research helped the design of the intake channel to Subiya. It was designed to carry a maximum water supply of 148m³/s with a maximum velocity of 0.16m/s, to avoid resuspension of sediment and avoid scouring the channel banks.

The model study showed that the proposed bell-mouth intake channel should be modified by constructing 14 guide vanes at the entrance oriented at different angles. The spaces between the guide vanes are not equal, but depend on guide vanes' location at the entrance section. That required modifications at the tip of the southern guiding dam.

MAJOR KUWAITI CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS PLANNED

After several years of high oil prices and budget surpluses, the Kuwaiti government has resurrected over $14bn worth of plans for several major developments. This includes a town at Subiya, with civil and infrastructure development schemes including roads, houses, schools and hospitals. A Danish consultancy (Cowi) has finished a route study for the 26km causeway project.

Electricity demand in Kuwait is predicted to grow at almost 10%/year and the al-Subiya power station is one of five (the other four are Doha East, Doha West, Shuaiba South, and al-Zour South) with a total capacity of about 9.3GW.

The country will need to invest $3.6bn to increase power capacity to 12GW and above over the next ten years. In September 2001, the Kuwaiti MEW (Ministry of Electricity and Water) approved construction of three new power plants with a total cost of around $2bn, including a 400MW gas fired plant in Subiya.

Kuwait has some of the lowest power prices in the world and the government may reduce subsidies to try to cut its present electricity waste. The company is linking with electricity grids of other Gulf Co-operation Council countries to help handle peak demand periods.

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