Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) has installed a new 100-MW gas turbine, and two new desalination units of capacity 10 mgpd at the Layyah power and desalination plant.

Ongoing projects and those just completed are estimated at Dh400 million, Ali Abdullah Al Noman, director general, was quoted as saying in the authority's monthly magazine Anwar.

The process of installing and commissioning another 100 MW gas turbine is also being carried out in the third phase of the Wasit power generation and desalination plant for Dh230 million, he said.

It will be commissioned in May 2002 to meet the increasing power demand in the emirate.

Sewa also started commissioning a new 5 mgpd desalination unit in July, as part of the second phase of the Layyah plant. It further commissioned the second 5 mgpd desalination unit as part of the Layyah plant expansion in August, thus boosting overall capacity to 37.5 mgpd.

The Dh170-million contract had been awarded to Sidem of France.

"The new desalination units apply the multi-effect desalination (MED) methods, and are the largest of their kind in the Gulf," he said.

"The current production capacity of Sewa's power generation units is 1,400 MW and will be increased to 1,500 MW after commissioning of the second turbine during the third phase of the Wasit plant," he added.