GE and electricity provider Azito Energie have begun operations of Azito’s Phase IV simple cycle power plant in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, making the Azito power plant the largest gas power plant in the country to date.
The plant will add 180MW of electricity to the Ivory Coast national grid, approximately 8% of the country’s current installed capacity. This is the equivalent needed to power more than 300,000 Ivorian homes, supporting the country’s decarbonisation roadmap and the country’s growing energy consumption needs.
For this project, GE provided a GT13E2 2012 MXL2 gas turbine including power generation equipment, analytics and controls software and a service agreement for twenty years to manage all aspects of the project’s lifecycle.
“Because of its relevance in providing energy to the people of Ivory Coast, the commissioning of the Azito Phase IV power plant is another milestone in ensuring energy efficiency for generations to come,” said Luc Aye, managing director, Azito Energie SA.
“The growth of gas power generation plays a critical role in facilitating Ivory Coast’s decarbonisation and energy targets by delivering accessible, affordable and reliable energy across the country. We look forward to furthering the collaboration with GE’s innovative technology solution,” said Aye.
Enhancing operations with big data
In addition, the Azito power plant will use big data analytics to improve Azito’s fleet performance and make smarter operational decisions using GE software. It will analyse the Azito plant’s historical performance and operations to monitor and diagnose possible issues, improve capacity planning and drive improved efficiency, availability, flexibility and emissions.
Data collected from sensors throughout the facility will be monitored and analysed 24/7 at GE’s Monitoring & Diagnostics (M&D) Center in Atlanta, Georgia in the US.
“This project supports Ivory Coast’s plans for the transition towards lower-carbon power generation through gas and renewables and highlights GE’s commitment to supporting power plant operators in their energy transition efforts to increase electricity production capacity with efficient gas technologies,” said Kenneth Oyakhire, services director, GE Gas Power Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are delighted to have delivered our advanced technology, digital solutions and services for Phase IV, one of the most important projects in Ivory Coast, and look forward to continuing this strong working relationship.”
