GE Energy's Jenbacher On-Site Power Solutions Boost Bangladesh Industrial Sector

Jenbacher gas engine technology demonstrates reliability with 100 MW installed locally

JENBACH, AUSTRIA - October 19, 2007 : – Interest within Bangladesh's industrial sector for GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines continues to grow as more companies are seeking to install more reliable and highly available on-site power systems to meet production targets, lower operational costs and improve their competitive positions in a rapidly changing global economy.

Textile companies Parity Fashion, R.K. Spinning and the Sinha Group, and the food and beverage division of the Akij Group, have ordered a combined total of about 30 of GE's natural gas-fueled Jenbacher gas engine systems for on-site cogeneration or electricity production.

Overall, GE Energy currently has an installed base of about 100 Jenbacher engines in Bangladesh, producing a total of more than 100 megawatts (MW) of power.

GE's Jenbacher gas engines solutions are an increasingly attractive option in Bangladesh, given the lack of reliable, cost-effective service from the public grid, combined with the low cost and abundant supply of natural gas in the region.

GE supplied the Jenbacher units to these customers, with prompt and efficient customer service assured by GE's local authorized distributor for Jenbacher gas engines, Orient Energy Systems.

"These projects in Bangladesh demonstrate the reliability and flexibility of GE's Jenbacher gas engine technology to address a broad array of industrial requirements," said Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business. "We are pleased to support the efforts of our customers to expand economic development in their communities while they become more competitive within the global export business."

Parity Fashion's Cogeneration & R.K. Spinning On-Site Power Projects:

Textile company Parity Fashion, and R.K. Spinning, both owned by Md. Abdul Hamid commissioned three Jenbacher JMS 320 GS-N.L cogeneration modules in 2006 (at the Parity Fashion site), and four Jenbacher JGS 320 GS-N.L generator sets in 2004 (at the R.K Spinning site). Both sites are located in the district of Narayangonj, 30 kilometers south of Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka.

The three Jenbacher cogeneration units installed at the Parity Fashion site have an electrical output of about 3 MW and a thermal output of 1.7 MW (out-of-jacket-water), which will be used to operate a hot water chiller system. Additionally, the operator is using the Jenbacher systems' exhaust gas heat for producing steam that supports the dyeing process. This project marked Orient Energy's first Jenbacher combined heat and power (CHP) project in Bangladesh.

The four Jenbacher generator-sets installed at R.K. Spinning provide 4.2 MW of electricity.

The power plants' owner installed the Jenbacher systems to help assure its textile mill sites have steady access to a reliable on-site source of power in order to meet critical production and export schedules.

"Our high standards for economy and quality are optimally fulfilled by the Jenbacher systems," said Md. Abdul Hamid, Managing Director of Parity Fashion and R.K. Spinning, who already ordered an additional two Jenbacher generator-sets for his R.K. Spinning mill, beginning in 2007.

Sinha Textile Group On-site Power Project:

The Sinha Textile Group of Kanchpur, 25 kilometers southeast of Dhaka, ordered 12 Jenbacher JGS 320 GS-N.L gen-sets between 2000 and the beginning of 2007 for several of the company's mill sites in the region.

In all, the 12 units provide 12.5 MW of power, with the latest engine being commissioned at the end of July 2007. Six of these Jenbacher engines already passed the 40,000-hour operating mark. The engines are all operating in island mode.

Akij Food & Beverage Ltd. (AFBL) On-site Power Plants:

In mid-2005, AFBL, a division of the Akij Group, installed four of GE's JGS 320 GS-N.L Jenbacher gen-sets to support its beverage production facility in Manikgonj, 50 kilometers southwest of Dhaka. Here, the company produces a variety of popular drinks in Bangladesh including a cola, a lemon drink and an energy drink. The four Jenbacher gen-sets create a total of 4.2 MW of electrical power.

"We are very pleased with the power plant's results. The units' high reliability and their ability to operate in island mode help us assure highly needed uninterrupted beverage production," said Sk. Bashir Uddin, owner of the Akij Group, which has already ordered four additional Jenbacher generator-sets to support the beverage production site and other Akij Group divisions.

About Jenbacher Gas Engines by GE Energy

GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business, based in Jenbach, Austria, is a leading manufacturer of gas-fueled reciprocating engines and packaged generator sets for power generation and cogeneration systems for power generation as well as gas engines for mechanical drive applications.

Jenbacher engines cover an output range of 0.25 to 3 MW and operate on natural gas or a variety of specialty fuels, including landfill and coal mine gas or alternative fuels like biogas, sewage gas and industrial waste gas.

Patented combustion systems coupled with advanced engine and plant management systems enable customers to meet stringent international emission standards while offering high levels of efficiency, durability, and reliability.

About GE Energy

GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Ga., GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.