Algeria’s state generator SPE has brought fully online a 660MW gas-fired power plant at Hassi Messaoud, 85km southeast of Ouargla in eastern Algeria, taking the country’s current generating capacity to 17.68GW. The plant comprises three 220MW gas turbine generator units, the first of which was started up in 2015.
The Hassi Messaoud plant is one of a number of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT), gas turbine and mobile gas turbine plants with a combined capacity of 13.71GW, which state electricity and gas utility Sonelgaz has scheduled to begin commissioning during 2015-16. Sonelgaz has lately provided targets for the beginning of commissioning of plants rather than for full-capacity operation, which makes its already opaque planning even less transparent. Yet it is likely that all of this capacity will be fully operational by the end of 2018 – if the company’s funds hold out. (CONTINUED - 469 WORDS)
