Danish power plant specialist, BWSC, awarded giant contracts worth approximately MEUR 270 to build two large diesel power plants totalling 272MW in Lebanon.
The Danish power plant specialist Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) has landed two new large contracts worth approximately €270m to build two diesel power plants of 194MW and 78MW respectively on a full turnkey basis in Zouk and Jiyeh near Beirut, Lebanon.
Both contracts are contracted to a consortium of BWSC and MAN Diesel & Turbo, with BWSC as consortium leader responsible for all technical and commercial aspects of the project, providing a single source of contact for the client.
The new power plants will be state-of-the-art within Diesel Combined Cycle (DCC) technology. Each plant will be based on four and respectively 10 x MAN Diesel 18V48/60 medium speed HFO diesel engines driving the main generators. Both plants will be supplied with efficient steam turbine generators.
The prime movers, associated equipment, and overall conceptual layout have been configured to provide an extremely high overall electrical efficiency of more than 48%.
The contract signing ceremony which took place on 26 February 2013 confirms that the two power plant projects are urgently needed by the State of Lebanon in order to secure reliable and efficient power generation as soon as possible. Consequently, both power plant projects will be handed over to the client, the Ministry of Electricity and Water with the state-owned utility company Electricité de Liban as the end user, already in 2014.
"We are thrilled to have been awarded these impressive contracts being the largest order in BWSC’s history," said Anders Heine Jensen, CEO in BWSC.
"The projects will pave the way for more efficient energy projects, not only in Lebanon but also in the entire Middle East."
"We have gained some valuable years of expertise and competences in the Middle Eastern region. Lebanon, however, is a new market to us," Anders Heine Jensen said. "Therefore, we are also very grateful for the fantastic support we have had from the Danish Embassy in Lebanon, which has made an unsurpassed effort and without their support we would not be where we are today."
Danish export opportunities
The considerable backlog of energy production in Lebanon makes the country particularly interesting for a company as BWSC which continuously has assessed the security situation in the country and compared it to other regions that could be characterised as challenging.
"Despite the crisis in Syria, we find the security situation in Lebanon stable enough – a fundamental and essential precondition for implementing large infrastructure projects in the country," said Anders Heine Jensen.
Lebanon recently got a financial boost from the international community as a consequence of the global financial crisis. Many international banks and investment companies found shelter in Lebanon which has brought the country’s investment potential into focus.
"In spite of the present serious situation in Syria, the World Bank forecasts GDP growth rates for 2013 to reach around 3%," Lebanon added. "This is lower than the high growth rates experienced in 2008-2011, though still highly acceptable compared to European growth rates. The rapid development is due to the private sector which over the past five years has been the mainspring of the economic growth in the country."
Besides the development of the electricity sector, the Lebanese Government has also presented their various plans for improvement of the infrastructure, amongst others the development of dams and waste treatment. Further, two weeks ago, the Minister of Energy & Water launched a very promising prequalification for oil and gas exploration so in general terms we see many business possibilities from which Danish exporters can benefit," Anders Heine Jensen concludes.
With more than 30 years’ experience, some160 power plants delivered to 51 countries worldwide, and a significant number of long-term operation and maintenance agreements, BWSC has a deeply rooted understanding of its regional markets which is a crucial factor for Danish exporters.
