Message from Stefan Kipp EMD of AlBihouth
Welcome to our summer newsletter for 2026. As we are in the peak of the hot weather season our main safety focus is the welfare of our staff and avoiding heat stress events. The last 6 months of works have seen major developments in our project, and despite some difficulties experienced through the heavy rains and the security situation in February and March, we are pleased to see the plant being made ready for the start of commissioning works in some areas. The outstanding milestone achieved this year so far is the successful pressure test of boiler 2 with the associated steam piping network. Insulation works and internal linings are now underway here, and we are planning to pressure test the second of our boilers towards the end of September. All of the heavy plant equipment has now been lifted into position, so our two tower cranes were removed from site in June. Major erection works is now giving way to more technical activities with cable laying, terminations and the connection of electrical equipment underway around the site. Although hot commissioning will not start for some months some plant systems have been energized already, and we have begun to receive technical documents and plans for the commissioning process. The plant commission manager has been to site and met the team during July.
Project Summary to date
Following the successful pressure test of line 2, boiler pipework has been purged with Nitrogen to aid preservation. The focus of process works is now the completion of welds and radiographic testing for line 1, and additional welders have recently been mobilized to site to improve welding completions. Our site manpower will remain at 3,000 staff, until the labor-intensive works in the boilers has been completed. The three waste crane assemblies now are in-situ in the waste bunker, and crane rail alignment was completed in Q2 this year. The crane grabs are also at site awaiting installation and testing. The main plant compressor room is substantially completed, with systems pressure tested awaiting the start of commissioning works. The ACC units are all installed, and steam and condensate return pipework is nearing completion to the turbine annex. Flue Gas Treatment facilities for boiler line 2 and 1 have been erected and the fitting of bag house filters and CEMS equipment interfaces are underway in both lines. At the adjacent substation, where our power export connection will terminate, works are progressing with the interface building and the erection of the steel structures that will support that GIB and GIS equipment. The cable trench that will contain the export power cables between our substation and the TAQA installation is progressing well, and the HV cables are all at site awaiting the start of cable pulling. The network outage to facilitate connection to the TAQA network has been agreed; this work will take place in Q4 this year.
Civil works have also been progressing well, with the fit out and lining of the fire water tanks, the installation of fire pumps under way, and the network of sub-surface fire piping fitted, and pressure tested. MEP works in the administration building has been underway since Q2, and cabling works in the main control room at fifth floor level is ongoing. Sewage and storm water drains are being completed around the site and the installation of the wastewater treatment facility is expected to start shortly. The main access gatehouse, the site access roads and weighbridge structures are under erection at this time, and the tipping floor is 50% completed. The warehouse and storage building is now fully enclosed, with MEP works ongoing inside, and the waste bunker roof and side wall panels are nearly completed.
HSE update
With high numbers of staff on site for the previous 6 months, project manhours have been growing quickly. In July the project community celebrated 3 million LTI free manhours, with a special lunch for all staff and a series of award ceremonies. The project community continues to be focused on HSE in the workplace and our current safety campaign deals with Heat Stress Awareness. In line with UAE regulation outside work is prohibited from 12.30 until 15.00 during the summer months, and additional cooling shelters, water stations and training initiatives focusing on avoiding heat stress have been implemented.