(EnergyAsia, December 15, Monday) — Karachi Electric Supply Company Ltd (KESC) has ordered 64 Jenbacher gas engines from US-based GE Energy to supply 180 MW of urgently needed power to the local grid in Karachi city in Pakistan. The milestone contract was signed Nov 22 by the company’s new management team.

KESC expects the first 90 megawatt (MW) phase of its fast track gas engine power plant project to begin delivering power by June 2009. The second 90 MW phase is expected to enter service in mid-2009.

The project doubles the size of the previous record for the single largest order of GE’s natural gas-fuelled Jenbacher engines, a record that has been established, tied and surpassed several times since 2007. The new project was arranged through GE’s Jenbacher engine distributor for the region, Orient Energy Systems.

“We are moving as quickly as possible to install additional power generation capacity to meet the critical needs of Karachi’s business and residential sectors,” said KESC CEO Naveed Ismail.

“KESC selected GE’s Jenbacher gas engines because they have a proven track record in Pakistan and the ability to be installed very quickly. Furthermore, GE also has the manufacturing capacity to meet our needs for such a large number of engines in a very short period of time.”

Karachi has been facing an average daily shortage of 500 MW in electricity, forcing KESC to impose rolling blackouts called ‘load shedding’ to prevent the city’s grid from being further overwhelmed.

To reduce the need for load shedding during the daytime, GE’s J620 natural gas-fuelled engines will be installed at two power plants at separate sites in Karachi, where the engines will replace outdated turbines.

The utility has also added 96 MW of power generation at its Korangi Thermal plant and 50 MW in rental power. Combined, KESC will be adding 338MW to the grid by the end of 2009, said Mr Ismail.

“We are proud to be a part of this mega project with KESC to overcome a part of the power shortage that creates a serious issue for the residential and industrial end users in the largest port city of Pakistan and will execute this project well in time,” said Orient Energy Systems chairman Syed Rehan Hashmi.

GE said it highly efficient gas engines can use either natural gas or a ‘wide range’ of biogases and industrial waste gases.