GE Brings Fast Power to Indonesia's Sulawesi Island

During a groundbreaking ceremony today with Governor of Gorontalo Rusli Habibie, GE (NYSE: GE) has announced that it will provide four TM2500* mobile gas turbine generator sets to Indonesia as part of the country’s forward-thinking energy plan to develop more than 35 gigawatts (GW) of new power by 2020. The TM2500 units will be installed on the island of Sulawesi, in the Gorontalo province.

With more than 15,000 islands, Indonesia requires unique electricity demands, which require smaller and more localized power generation solutions. It is the fourth most populous nation in the world, and the government predicts that the 35 GW of new power capacity would raise annual economic growth more than 6.5 percent. To support this high expected rate of growth in Indonesia, GE has increased both its investment and resources dramatically over the last several years to support Indonesia’s future.

GE technology is responsible for approximately more than 20 percent of Indonesia’s electricity generation, and more than 8 GW of electricity is generated from GE’s gas turbines. GE has been in Indonesia since 1940 and currently has more than 800 employees and 10 facilities in the country. More than $1 billion has been invested in Indonesia as part of the company’s commitment to support infrastructure development.

GE’s TM2500 generator set, which is trailer mounted and can be installed faster than traditional power plants, is ideally suited to meet Indonesia’s growth plans. Each TM2500 generator set can produce more than 25 megawatts (MW) of power output in the hot Indonesian climate—enough power for approximately 25,000 homes. Altogether, the four units for the Gorontalo province will provide 100 MW of power and will be used for grid stability and expected power demand increases from the people of Sulawesi in the coming years. The units are being purchased and installed by Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), the EPC management company for the project, and Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will own and operate the units.

“We are proud to work with the Indonesian government to provide our best mobile power solution, the TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine, to the Gorontalo province,” said Fajar Akbar, Indonesia senior sales leader for Aeroderivative Gas Turbines at GE Power & Water. “This technology has been installed successfully in areas such as Egypt, Algeria, Greece and Japan, and the trailer-mounted capabilities allow the TM2500 to be installed quickly, run efficiently and provide reliable power for years to come. We look forward to working with Perusahaan Listrik Negara, Indonesia’s state electricity company on additional projects for the Indonesian people in the future.”

The TM2500 generator set includes GE’s LM2500 gas turbine, which is one of the most installed and successful gas turbines in its class with more than 75 million operating hours. TM2500s have been a leading technology for fast and emergency power applications in the past 15 years, with more than 200 units delivered globally and less than half the installation time of other similarly-sized power solutions.