Clarke Energy working with developers of prestigious Algerian mosque

Merseyside power solutions specialist Clarke Energy is to provide four gas engines to provide lower carbon power, heating and cooling for the new Djamaâ el Djazaïr mosque (the Great Mosque of Algiers) in Algeria.

The contract was announced by US group General Electric’s (GE) Distributed Power business this morning.

Knowsley-based Clarke Energy is GE’s authorised channel partner of its Jenbacher gas engines in Algeria.

The firm has undertaken a tour of Africa this week, as part of Prime Minister Theresa May’s trade mission to improve investment and trading links with the continent.

A natural gas-fueled trigeneration plant will supply 4.25 megawatts (MW) of electricity, 4.3 MW of heat in the winter and 3.5 MW to produce 6 MW of chilled water in the summer at the planned mosque.

The mosque will be the third largest mosque in the Arabic world — after the Mecca and Medina sites — and will feature a minaret more than 265 metres tall, making it the world’s largest.

Clarke Energy secured an agreement with Turkish subcontractor AE Arma-Elektropanç to supply the four Jenbacher J320 gas engines for the project.

During the hot Algerian summer months, the gas engines’ heat will be converted into cooling water by three absorption chillers.

The cold water will be used in the building’s air conditioning systems.

In the winter, the system will use the engine heat to warm the complex.

The new mosque is being built as a cultural and religious centre and symbolises the bright future of urban development in Algeria.

“A key factor in us selecting Clarke Energy to supply GE’s Jenbacher gas engines for this project was their local support network and established presence in Algeria, combined with GE’s proven global track record for numerous successful Jenbacher gas engine trigeneration projects,” said Murat Alkim, deputy general manager of AE Arma-Elektropanc.

The project underscores the growing industrial demand for advanced trigeneration technologies, including in the commercial and residential building sectors.

“We are excited to support the development of the Djamaâ el Djazaïr mosque by supplying GE’s Jenbacher gas engine trigeneration technology, which will allow the mosque to generate its own power, heat and cooling for the complex without depending on the local grid,” said Jamie Clarke, chief executive of Clarke Energy.

“GE’s CHP (combined heat and power) technologies will deliver important reliability, energy efficiency and environmental benefits for this flagship international project,” he added.

GE’s J320 units are expected to enter operation at the end of 2018, in conjunction with the opening of the mosque.

“GE’s proven Jenbacher gas engine trigeneration technology is an attractive technical and commercial solution for a growing number of industrial and community energy challenges,” said Leon van Vuuren, general manager global sales and commercial operations for GE’s Distributed Power business.

“We are excited to showcase the advantages of our trigeneration technology for the development of the new Djamaâ el Djazaïr mosque.”

The mosque complex includes a multimedia library, a research centre, meeting rooms, a prayer room able to accommodate almost 35,000 people, the minaret, a Quran school, residential facilities and a museum.