Securing its first project in Tanzania, privately owned gas-driven power plant specialist Clarke Energy has won a contract to supply one of GE’s high-efficiency Jenbacher gas engines to Bakhresa Group flagship company Said Salim Bakhresa for a combined heat and power (CHP) plant that would support the Azam flour mill in Dar es Salaam and help Bakhresa reduce its yearly operating costs.
“We selected GE and Clarke Energy for our site in Dar es Salaam due to the efficiency performance of similar units in Tanzania and their service support available in the country,” said Said Salim Bakhresa technical manager Rajesh Nair.
Tanzania boasted large domestic reserves of gas located in coastal waters off the southern part of Tanzania. As a result, two gas pipelines had been constructed to transport that gas from the production site to the site of use.
The first pipeline reached full capacity several years ago, supplying a limited number of industries with gas for self-consumption, while the second gas pipeline was recently completed, resulting in new gas supplies being made available to industry.
Clarke Energy business development director Hugh Richmond noted that Bakhresa was one of the foremost industrial houses in Tanzania, and that natural gas-fuelled power generation would have significant cost- and carbon-saving benefits.
“As Clarke Energy’s first project in Tanzania, it will help reduce the factory’s operational costs and, in parallel, deliver reliable power,” he said.
GE Distributed Power sub-Saharan Africa regional leader Oluwatoyin Abegunde added that GE’s Jenbacher J612 gas engine features lowers emissions and increased efficiency.
“By combining our proven technology and Clarke Energy’s expertise, we are able to provide a highly reliable, cost-effective solution for Bakhresa’s new CHP plant, supporting the growth of Tanzania’s industrial base,” he concluded.