Wärtsilä, a leading global supplier of flexible power plants and services to the decentralized power generation market, has recently been awarded three operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts for power plants in Brazil.
Borborema Energética S.A. has contracted Wärtsilä to operate, maintain and supply all labour and spare parts for its Campina Grande power plant in Paraiba, Brazil. The plant runs on heavy fuel oil and generates 164 MW of electrical output from 20 Wärtsilä 20V32 engines to the national grid. The Borborema power plant will be operated in hot stand-by mode with short notice switchover capability to feed the national grid with baseload power.
A second O&M contract was awarded by Maracanaú Geradora de Energia for its power plant located in Ceará, Brazil. The plant’s 168 MW output is generated from eight Wärtsilä 20V46F engines running on heavy fuel oil, and also provides flexible power to the national grid.
Both contracts are for five years with an option to extend for a further 5 years.
A third O&M agreement was signed with Linhares Geração S.A. for running and maintaining their 204 MW gas power plant at optimal efficiency. This power plant, located in Linhares, Espirito Santo, Southwest of Brazil, is the biggest power plant in Brazil operating on natural gas driven engines. The plant comprises 24 Wärtsilä 20V34SG gas engines and the electricity will be used for flexible power production as stand-by power for Brazil’s hydro generation. The contract is for two years with an option to extend for a further 3 years.
Hydro power accounts for some 90 percent of the Brazil’s electricity. All three plants are expected to be operational for approximately 2000 hours per year between December and April, when water reservoirs are low.
With the signing of these contracts, Wärtsilä now operates and maintains 15 power plants in Brazil having a combined energy output of 1.5 GW.
“By taking responsibility for the energy production, the safe and efficient operation, and all maintenance and repair requirements at these facilities, Wärtsilä is ensuring its customers of reliable performance and optimal output. We have been able to demonstrate that we have both the technical knowledge and skilled personnel to accomplish this,” commented Gil Viana, Services General Manager in Brazil.
Wärtsilä O&M agreements are tailored to the needs of its customers. The O&M agreement programme is designed to cover all aspects of operating and managing an installation, including O&M planning, day-to-day operations, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, administration, human resources and training, technical support, logistics management, and security. This comprehensive programme enables the plant owner to focus on the company’s core business, whilst Wärtsilä ensures optimal plant performance throughout the complete operational cycle, from receiving fuel to supplying energy.
For further information, please contact:
Cecilia Perez
Internal Communications Analyst SR.
Wärtsilä Services
Direct tel: +55 21 38788916
E-mail: cecilia.perez@wartsila.com
Maria Nystrand
Publicity Manager,
Wärtsilä Power Plants
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1456
E-mail: maria.nystrand@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
