Two new steam turbo-generators (STGs) at the Bapco refinery, built at an investment of $108 million, will bring in operating cost savings and enhance safety, Finance Minister and Minister in Charge of Oil and Gas Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said yesterday after inaugurating the project.

The generators will lower maintenance costs and improve thermal efficiencies, thereby boosting the reliability and operability of the power generation system, the minister said.

"The generators, each of 14 megawatt (MW) power capacity, having passed their performance guarantee tests by the supplier GE are now fully operational," chairman and acting chief executive Adel Almoayyed told the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.

"The new STGs have replaced five turbine generators that used to produce 21MW. They have been retired after more than 40 years of service.

"The refinery's current captive capacity addresses 40 per cent of the total requirement of 85MW, with the rest being sourced from the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA)," he stated.

"Once the refinery modernisation is effected in the future, the requirement will go up to 120-130MW, with more power being sourced from EWA," said Almoayyed.

Completed within budget, the project was executed by Technip France-Abu Dhabi and Bahraini company Ramsis Engineering.

Technip was the engineering and project management consultant whereas the entire construction was carried out by Ramsis.

"The safety performance during the construction of the new facilities was outstanding with over 1.5m man-hours and 528 days without a lost time accident or injury," Bapco's deputy chief executive Ebrahim Talib said.

"This is even more remarkable considering it was a brownfield project with refinery operations continuing even as the build was underway.

"The successful implementation of the STG project paves way for more projects, as Bapco moves forward with the modernisation masterplan," said Taib.

Another key project for Bapco is a wastewater treatment facility being developed at an investment of $120 million, the official stated.

"The new facility uses biomembrane technology, for the first time ever in a refinery. It will be fully operational in July this year, but will undergo rigorous testing until early next year when it will be handed over to Bapco," said Talib.

"Bapco already meets effluent discharge norms, and with the new plant, we will be treating the process water to the highest standards, reducing effluents at source, taking us to the next level of environment-friendly refining," he added.-TradeArabia News Service