PROJECT STORY
The challenge
KSA’s population growth pushed the demand for energy in the country to about 8% annually.
Siemens Gas Turbines Factory
Building Siemen’s first manufacturing facility for gas turbines in the Kingdom
The solution
Arcadis helped Siemens Saudi Arabia meet the country’s energy demand by building a factory to localize the production of gas turbines.
The impact
Siemens Saudi Arabia’s first gas turbine manufacturing facility — the largest in the Middle East — will harness natural gas reserves to secure energy for the country’s people and industries.
9,500m²
factory area
25m
total height
300 tons
crane capacity
The challenge
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a nation in continued development. In 2012, its population was expected to grow significantly as a result of the country’s strong economy. But with this growth, Saudi Arabia’s energy demand was also seen to increase by about 8% each year. Government authorities projected that the country must add 3,000MW to 4,000MW of annual installed electricity capacity to cope with the increasing local demand. Siemens Saudi Arabia responded by commencing the construction of Saudi Arabia’s first gas turbine manufacturing facility — the largest in the Middle East.
The solution
Saudi Arabia holds one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world on top of being a major oil-producing country. By building a local gas turbine factory, the country will have immediate access to the technologies it needs to strengthen and secure its energy for the future. Siemens recognized the value of in-depth understanding of the Saudi market and the expertise required to deliver a project of this magnitude, which is why they chose Arcadis to help them with the full engineering design and value engineering studies for architecture, structure and MEP disciplines. Our scope of work included the design for a 25m high factory with heavy steel structures that could support overhead cranes with 300-ton capacity. Getting this design right was crucial because it would facilitate the assembly of gas turbines. The country’s energy demand may continue to increase beyond what was projected in 2012. This was carefully considered when the factory was built on a 210,000m2 plot with enough space for future expansions.
The impact
Siemens’ 9,500m2 gas turbines facility can produce highly efficient turbines utilizing the latest technology. Gas turbines produced from this facility will be supplied to the local market to serve the increasing energy requirements of many sectors in Saudi Arabia including manufacturing, healthcare, water and infrastructure. Since it is a local manufacturing plant, it will also create job opportunities, which will contribute to the project’s overall positive impact on the lives of citizens and residents in the Kingdom.
