A consortium led by the local Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) had completed the first phase of the West Damietta power plant in Egypt.

Completion of the first phase had added an additional 250MW of capacity to Egypt’s grid. The West Damietta project is part of Egypt’s fast-track generation programme, which aims to have added an additional 3.7GW of additional capacity to the Egyptian grid by the end of July. The first contracts for the fast-track programme were only awarded in December 2014.

The US’ GE is supplying turbines for the West Damietta plant project, which will have a total capacity of 500MW when completed. OCI is also part of the consortium building the 1,000MW Assiut power plant undert the fast-track programme.

MEED recently reported that Germany’s Siemens had completed the fast-track supply and delivery of four turbines for the project to upgrade Egypt’s Attaka power plant, near Suez City, which was also part of the fast-track programme.

The turbines are being installed in collaboration with the local Elsewedy Power System Projects. The first turbine has entered commercial operation after a construction period of five months.

Operated by East Delta Electricity Production Company (EDEPC), the upgraded Attaka Power Plant has an installed generating capacity of 640MW, and was a key part of the Electricity & Energy Ministry’s fast-track programme to expand capacity.

In total, the $2.5bn fast-track programme will add 3.7GW to Egypt’s grid capacity by the end of the third quarter. In addition to Siemens and GE, Italy’s Ansaldo is also supplying and installing turbines under the programme.