New $3M GE aeroderivative gas turbine service center to support growth in the United Kingdom and Africa

General Electric (GE) announced today that it is expanding its global presence with the opening of a new US$3 million aeroderivative gas turbine service center in Lincoln, United Kingdom. GE’s 17th aeroderivative gas turbine service center consolidates two sites in the United Kingdom and adds infrastructure and capabilities to support GE’s current and new onshore and offshore customers in the United Kingdom and Africa. It also furthers GE’s commitment to localizing operations in order to provide world-class service close to its customers.

“GE is a local player with the experience of a large global company, and we are committed to providing solutions that drive customer success and productivity,” said Ricardo Cordoba, president of GE Energy Western Europe, North Africa and Pakistan. “We are investing in U.K. infrastructure with this new multi-million dollar facility in order to support the development and service of technology that powers the world. Europe and its customers are important to us—this is the region where new technology is being tested, and we feel this region has potential to grow. We are dedicated to becoming one of the top providers in Europe.”

The Lincoln Aeroderivative Gas Turbine Service Center allows maintenance of GE aeroderivative gas turbines operating in the region, as well as on-site, state-of-the-art training facilities for all LM engine types. These training courses can be customized to meet the specific needs of the customer and further enhances GE’s commitment to their client base.

“GE’s new facility sends a clear message to our customers in the growing regions in Africa, Europe and the United Kingdom that GE’s aeroderivative gas turbines business is committed to maximizing customer uptime by providing them with world-class products, services, training and support,” said Darryl Wilson, vice president—aeroderivative gas turbines for GE Power & Water. “This facility not only will provide best-in-class maintenance for our fleet, but also it will provide a local training venue for our customers and GE employees—the first of its kind in the U.K.”

This announcement continues a series of recent actions in GE’s energy business aimed at growing its overall presence in the global energy space. On Oct. 7, 2010, GE announced that it is building a US$10 million facility in Petropolis, dedicated to servicing the aeroderivative and oil and gas sectors in Latin America. On Oct. 25, 2010, GE announced US$750 million in contracts for a 2,400-megawatt power plant expansion in India, followed by an announcement on Nov. 1, 2010 of an agreement with Al Farraj Trading & Manufacturing Company to assemble and supply GE electrical equipment to five key Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. Finally, on Nov. 8, 2010, GE announced the opening of a world-class Energy Technology Center in Russia, which will create opportunities for high-tech jobs, training and service capabilities for Russian customers, potentially saving Russia up to US$80 billion annually.