In conversation with Fabrizio Fabbri, CEO of Ansaldo Energia

What is Ansaldo Energia’s strategy in the Middle East?

The Middle East is a strategic and growing market in power generation, paving the way towards energy security and decarbonisation. We consider ourselves a strategic partner for the region, rather than a mere supplier. 

Ansaldo Energia Group’s presence in the UAE dates back 30 years. We inaugurated our Abu Dhabi branch in 1995. In 2010, we opened our Abu Dhabi – Middle East Service Hub repair workshop, which has since been constantly upgraded to extend our repair capabilities.

Moreover, in 2022 Ansaldo Energia inaugurated in Abu Dhabi its Integrated Plant Support (IPS) Middle East, a diagnostic centre that continually monitors a vast fleet of worldwide installed equipment. The Middle East IPS, working together with its Italian twin based in Genova, leverages leading-edge technologies such as predictive diagnostic tools to ensure 24/7 supervision and analysis of plant health parameters. This activity allows prompt interventions for optimisation and troubleshooting, dramatically reducing plant downtime.

Talking about our Abu Dhabi presence, I’d also like to mention our excellent relations with local institutions and companies, and the full support of the Italian government and diplomatic authorities.

What Ansaldo Energia products do you consider more fit for the Middle East power generation market?

I believe the gas turbines most capable of meeting the needs of the Middle East market are our F-Class AE94.3A. It is a reliable, field-proven machine, with over 120 turbines sold worldwide and more than 5 million equivalent operating hours accumulated.

Furthermore, its great operational flexibility makes it ideal for peaker applications to stabilise the grid in the face of the growth of renewables. 

Market insights prove that our flagship, the GT36, can also find its place in this market. We are talking about a 563MW turbine, 800MW in combined cycle, capable of a ramp rate of 100MW a minute and a MEL of 15% in simple cycle and 20% in combined cycle. In a landscape where the demand for dispatchable energy is constantly growing, but where non-programmable renewables have an increasingly high penetration, this flexibility makes GT36 a valuable asset.

With five GT36 in operation in different countries with different needs, and with over 40,000 hours of operations, our flagship has proved itself as reliable, efficient and incredibly flexible.

What role do you see for natural gas in the energy transition path?

Shifting from coal to gas abates by 50% CO2 emissions per kWh. Moreover, the increase in electricity production from non-programmable and discontinuous renewable sources is a challenge that forces us to put the guarantee of stability of the electric grids at the forefront.

That’s were gas turbines come in. In addition, the very same equipment that today burns natural gas, tomorrow will burn hydrogen or low-carbon fuels. Our fleet is ready to burn hydrogen between 40% and 70% in the mix, depending on the equipment, with the goal to reach 100% by 2030. Our gas turbines can also swiftly shift from hydrogen to gas and vice versa. 

Our synchronous condensers also deserve a mention. These machines can provide voltage regulation, reactive power, short circuit power and inertia to the grid. A strategic deployment of synchronous condensers can play a vital role in stabilising the grid and preventing the risk of blackouts in the face of the increased production from discontinuous renewables. We also provide upgrades to increase the efficiency of the equipment, to make it hydrogen-ready and to extend the life of existing assets for the decades to come. Upgrades reduce capex cost, execution time and environmental impact compared to a new power plant.

Are these upgrade activities led from your Abu Dhabi headquarters?

Yes. As I mentioned, we inaugurated our Gulf Repair Workshop 16 years ago as a fully integrated part of our Global Repair Network. In addition, our Middle East Service Hub enables timely field interventions throughout the whole region thanks to our local, high-skilled staff. It is a valuable asset to efficiently serve our customers in the Middle East, both in the UAE and in other countries of the region such as Oman. We employ over 300 high-skilled technicians in Abu Dhabi, are engaged in complex operational activities and perform the repair of about 30,000 hot parts of gas turbines every year.

Ansaldo Energia is also a major player in nuclear and hydrogen-production technologies. What opportunities do you see in these areas?

While the thermal market in the Middle East is very dynamic, we see the fit for our other products such as nuclear and hydrogen production plants. If we are talking about nuclear power, I would like to mention the virtuous example of the UAE, which built and commissioned the Barakah power plant in just eight years. This is very fast compared to the average for other projects in the world and shows that it is possible to go nuclear on time and on budget. We look forward to contributing to this vision in the future, especially in service and waste management.

On the hydrogen side, we have developed an owned technology for scalable, highly efficient and operational flexible electrolysers, to enable hydrogen production by using electricity from renewables when the production exceeds the grid request. We have already sold the first plants in Europe, a good sign of the market appreciation for our product, and we see excellent opportunities also in the Middle East region. 

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