KUALA LUMPUR (March 2): GE's power services business has announced the opening of its first Asia Pacific tooling centre in Port Klang to better serve power plants in Asia Pacific.

Its Asia Pacific general manager Anders Maltesen said the new centre will serve over 300 cross-fleet power generation assets in more than 10 countries across Asia Pacific by offering the customers with more rapid services.

"This new GE facility will provide our customers with solutions that improve plant efficiency and reliability and with the new center in Malaysia, regional power plant operators can expect improved and faster services from a site that is located much closer to them," he said in a statement yesterday.

The center will be the single point of contact for tooling requests and help to increase the speed of tooling fulfillment by up to 50%.

Maltesen said the Port Klang Free Zone Sdn Bhd (PFKZ) and the local authorities were instrumental in this project, which demonstrates GE's continued commitment to support the nation's sustainable economic development and prosperity.

"This project opened effective discussions on future collaboration between GE and local authorities, adding value to Malaysia's economic growth which is completely staffed by local engineers and technician.

"Being located at the heart of the region, access to the region's seaports and airports [is] improved with excellent road networks that link major growth centres," he added.

Meanwhile, PKFZ chief executive officer Datuk Chia Kon Leong said, "We are constantly working to advance the Port Klang area by empowering businesses with tools and guidance to get their operations up and running in the region."

In addition, the new facility will feature over 500 different toolkits that will be used to dismantle, assemble, test, diagnose and increase the productivity of over 300 installed gas and steam turbines and generators across the region.

That said, it also further expands GE's network of power tooling locations which includes facilities around the world in the United States, Europe, Middle East, India and China.