Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said it has started testing the turbines at the M-Station expansion project in Jebel Ali, which is the newest and largest electricity generation and water desalination plant in the UAE.

Testing includes initial operation of turbines and power generators and connecting them to the grid, said the Dubai utility. These tests are essential to ensure the quality and reliability of the units while connected to the grid. Tests are scheduled to continue until the completion of the Dh1.47-billion ($400 million) expansion project in the fourth quarter of 2018, it stated.

The expansion project includes the provision of new power generating units adding a further 700 MW to the installed generating capacity of M-Station, besides the addition of two dual-fuel gas turbine generators, two heat recovery steam boilers, and one steam turbine with 90 per cent of fuel efficiency, said Dewa.

This will increase the plant’s thermal efficiency from 82.4 per cent to 85.8 per cent, which is one of the highest thermal-efficiency rates in the world, it added.