GE Energy has secured more than $500 million in contracts to supply advanced power generation equipment and long-term services for the Al Dur Independent Water and Power Project, the largest power plant in the Kingdom of Bahrain, an Arabic country in the Persian Gulf.

The country is planning additional capacity expansions over the next 20 years for its increasing power needs, which are growing at rates of 7 percent to 10 percent a year, officials there said.

Atlanta-based GE Energy is supplying two steam turbines and four heavy-duty Frame 9FA gas turbines, which are equipped with GE advanced emission-control technologies. GE also contracted to service the equipment for 20 years.

When completed, the plant is expected to provide 1,250 megawatts of power, which would account for 30 percent of the kingdom’s existing electricity grid output, as well as 48 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day.

“Worldwide, we are seeing a trend toward the integration of power and water production at a single site,” said Steve Bolze, president and CEO of GE Energy’s Power and Water business. “Water and energy are inextricably linked; energy is needed to generate water and water is needed to produce energy. GE has the scale, diversity and expertise to effectively pursue and manage power and water projects around the world.”

Under the contract, GE Energy will supply parts, repairs and provide field services for planned and unplanned maintenance for the gas turbine-generators and accessory equipment.

The two steam turbines will be manufactured in Schenectady, N.Y.; the four gas turbines will be built at GE Gas Turbine in Greenville, S.C. They primarily will be powered by natural gas.

It’s GE’s first installation of the F-class gas turbines in the Kingdom of Bahrain.