Ansaldo Energia expands Middle East presence

In conversation with Tarek Sultan, managing director, Ansaldo Energia Gulf, Abu Dhabi

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What led you to locate your new Integrated Plant Support diagnostic centre in Abu Dhabi?

The UAE is the main hub for Ansaldo Energia’s regional setup through three main pillars: Ansaldo Energia’s Abu Dhabi branch; the Ansaldo Energia Gulf (AEG) repair facility for blades and vanes; and our Middle East Service Hub (MESH). 

Within this framework, the decision to locate the Integrated Plant Support (IPS) diagnostic centre in the UAE was a continuation of Ansaldo Energia Group’s vision to localise regional activities in the UAE in order to get closer to our customers and add engineering value to the region.

The IPS is strategically located in the UAE to cover the Middle East region, and is Ansaldo Energia’s second IPS centre after our first facility in Genoa, Italy, opened. Both locations monitor Ansaldo Energia’s fleet globally through different time zones. 

Ansaldo Energia Group’s Integrated Plant Support currently monitors and manages 106 gas turbines, 42 steam turbines and 132 generators, for a total of more than 33GW.

What are the benefits of establishing a localised support operation in the power and utilities sector?

At Ansaldo Energia, we believe localisation is the keyword for regional success. 

For more than 25 years, Ansaldo Energia has been building its presence in the UAE, starting as a small branch office in 1995, then adding competencies and know-how to expand to 300 people today.

The main steps have been the creation of the Middle East Service Hub, which provides a fast intervention service unit staffed by 120 fully equipped technicians, and the strengthening of the AEG repair workshop, which over the years has doubled its original footprint and increased its technical staff to 150.

Now, the Abu Dhabi branch and facilities are the pulsing heart of the company not only for the Middle East region, but also for neighbouring countries.

The closer we are to our customers, the more we can create value for them, with our fast response capabilities and understanding of the local market’s needs and challenges.

What emerging growth opportunities will your expanded local presence help develop?

Having a local presence will help us develop more opportunities in the region, primarily by being close. We are the customer’s first choice since we have a better understanding of their needs. The UAE local market continues to be a very active market, with a lot of potential resources that we can leverage and learn from.