Innovation Project of the Year: Thermal Energy Storage Turbine Inlet Air Cooling (TESTIAC)

22 June 2016

The implementation of Testiac technology at a Dubai water station has led to a 111MW increase in capacity

Entrant: Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa)

Project owner: Dewa

EPC contractor: Apina

Project management: Dewa

Financier: Government

The thermal energy storage turbine inlet air cooling (Testiac) design cools and stores chilled water during off peak hours and uses it for cooling the turbine inlet air during peak hours.

This shifts the load of chillers away from peak hours, when the demand for capacity is highest due to hot summer temperatures, and enables the size of the chillers to be optimised. As a result of the introduction of the system, the capacity of a Dubai water station increased by 111MW.

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) implemented this system for the first time in the world on modern F-class gas turbines in a record time frame. Seen as a learning opportunity, this was achieved using in-house capabilities, without the need for external consultants or support from the original equipment manufacturer. Its success was recognised locally and internationally.

It also qualified under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as a Clean Development Mechanism initiative due to the considerable reduction of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

The Testiac system allows for reduced fuel consumption, leading to average savings of an estimated AED28.3m ($7.7m) a year for the next 30 years

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.