TAPCO - Background

About Us Background

Abu Dhabi has a growing population (Power and Water growth rate estimated at 7.4% and 17% respectively in 2005) and a rising standard of living. As a result of these factors and Government policy to encourage agriculture, the demand for power and water in the Emirate has been growing robustly in recent years and is forecast to maintain this strongly upward trend for the foreseeable future.

Additionally there are existing power generation and water desalination assets in the Emirate that are nearing the end of their productive lives, and will be retired in the next few years. These factors combined mean that there is significant new construction activity required if the level of supply is to keep pace with the growing demand of the population and industry. This Project is an important part of the planned installation of combined power and water assets that the Government has formulated to meet this demand.

Power demand in the Emirate is seasonal, with a marked increase in demand in the summer months when air conditioning is in widespread use. Demand for water is much more constant, although still peaks in summer, and is constrained by production capacity.

Existing B Plant
The New B Extension
Existing and New B Shared Facilities

The Initial B Plant was commissioned between 1995 and 1997 and has an installed net power capacity of 619.9 MW and a net desalinated water production capacity of 69.1 MIGD, provided by six steam generators and steam turbines, and six multi stage flash (“MSF”) desalination units respectively.

The Initial B Extension was completed in 2000 and has an installed net power generation capacity of 308.3 MW and a net desalinated water production capacity of 22.5 MIGD, provided by two gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators (“HRSG”), a single back pressure steam turbine, and three MSF desalination units.

Both the Initial B Plant units and those of the Initial B Extension are expected to have a remaining economic life equivalent to the term of the PWPA and the Project Company will be required to operate and maintain such assets for that term.

The New B Extension is required, when combined with the Existing B Plant, to provide a total power capacity of 2,000 MW net, based on a seawater temperature of 35o C, an ambient air temperature of 46 °C at 42% relative humidity (“Reference Site Conditions”). Additional net water desalination capacity is also to be added to produce a maximum of 160 MIGD when combined with that of the Existing B Plant.

The existing shared facilities (the “Shared Facilities” or “SF”) are jointly owned by the Gulf Total Tractebel Power Company (owner of Taweelah A1 IWPP), the Emirates CMS Power Company (owner of Taweelah A2 IWPP) and the Taweelah Asia Power Company (TAPCO) through Taweelah Shared Facilities Company, LLC (the “SF Company”).

The Shared Facilities consist principally of seawater intake and outfall facilities, as well as shared security, fire and road access facilities for the Taweelah Complex.
New shared facilities (the “New B Shared Facilities”) are required to be constructed by TAPCO, and then transferred to the SF Company. They consist principally of new roads and lighting for the Taweelah Complex.