First Batch of 600 Egyptian Trainees – Work at Mega Power Plants

The first 50 Egyptian engineers and technicians, who started their extensive training program at Siemens in April 2016, have completed the initial phase of their training on the simple cycle power plants’ operations. To ensure the career-starters will be able to operate the mega-sized plants, Siemens is building in Egypt, with utmost efficiency at the time of the handover, they will witness the initial commissioning of the three power plants ‘ located at Beni Suef, Burullus and New Capital firsthand on site. Training for further 200 trainees is underway until the end of 2016, and additional 350 Egyptians are expected to be trained in 2017.

The power plants will initially be operated in so-called simple cycle mode. By subsequently adding heat exchangers and steam turbines they will be expanded into combined cycle mode, reaching a total installed capacity of 4.8 gigawatt (GW) each. Once the open-cycle commissioning interval is completed, the trainees will receive another one-month vocational training on the combined cycle technology and steam turbines. Once completed, the three power plants will have a total capacity of 14.4 GW.

‘Witnessing the initial commissioning of the three power plants marks a special milestone for our students who have just completed a rigorous course of training on the most advanced technologies in power generation.’ said Ahmed El Saadany, Learning Manager at Siemens Egypt. ‘After having posted the job offers in newspapers more than 20,000 people applied. Out of this vast pool, we had to pick just 600. These youth have shown tremendous commitment and determination, and we look forward to their contribution to the local energy sector.’

As the trainees concluded their first stage of training, they take away valuable insights on the technologies, processes and challenges involved in operating large power facilities. With the aid of the power plant simulator, practical experiments were conducted, in Egypt and Germany, to help students put themselves into the position of a real operator. In addition, the training encompassed component-specific parts, and field visits coupled with modules tackling psychological and communication aspects. Language, management, leadership and supervisory competences were also integral part of the program. 

Osama Mohamed Mahfouz, one of Egyptian Electricity Holding Company’s (EEHC) trainees, described the training as a ‘great opportunity to get a real-life experience’ in the power plants. As part of the training, the Egyptian learners visited Siemens Gas Turbine Training Center in Germany and obtained firsthand insights on turbines. ‘Throughout the program, we were frequently engaged in project-oriented training in which we had the chance to communicate with one another, take decisions, troubleshoot, plan and budget our activities and present the results to our instructor,’ he said.

Siemens is involved in the training of 600 Egyptian engineers and technicians ‘ in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy. As one of the leading providers of engineering training globally, the current program was part of Siemens commitment to developing the technical skills necessary for Egypt’s sustainable energy future.