Malicounda

Mbour region, Senegal

130 MW

With 450 MW of installed capacity in Senegal, Wärtsilä is the country’s leading provider of power generation equipment. The Matelec company placed an order for the delivery of an energy efficient 130 MW Flexicycle™ power plant. This investment will enable Senegal to achieve its goal of reducing consumer electricity pricing.

"We needed a reliable and qualified partner to engineer and provide a flexible and reliable energy system now, and later as our energy infrastructure evolves. With its global and Pan-African experience, Wärtsilä fully meets the project requirements. This is a major energy project that is very important for Senegal.”
Sami Soughayar, CEO, Matelec Group

THE CHALLENGE

Providing a solution that
enables lower electricity
prices for consumers

Ensuring high availability,
efficiency and reliability of the
power plant

Allow a high return on investment
for the project sponsors

WÄRTSILÄ'S SOLUTION

A 130 MW Flexicycle™ power plant with seven Wärtsilä 18V50 engines for baseload power production

Engineered equipment delivery
(EEQ)

A 10-year maintenance
agreement that guarantees availability and reliability

BENEFIT

Improves consumer access to electricity at a lower price

High-power availability enabling fulfilment of a 120 MW PPA through reliable baseload generation

Operational flexibility for
the integration of intermittent
renewable energy into
Senegal’s network

Guaranteed availability of the
power plant through a 10-year
maintenance agreement

Expand all

Read the whole story

Matelec is the EPC contractor (engineering, procurement and construction) for the independent power producer (IPP) Melec Power Gen, with whom Senelec has signed a 120 MW power purchase agreement (PPA). The 20-year PPA is a direct follow-up to a previous development agreement between Senelec, the state power utility, and Africa50, the infrastructure fund for Africa, for the selection of an IPP to develop a 120 MW combined cycle thermal power plant.

Wärtsilä will engineer, manufacture and deliver the Malicounda power project to the Mbour region, 85 km south of the country’s capital Dakar. The plant is expected to become operational in 2020.

The scope of Wärtsilä’s contract comprises (in addition to the seven engines) a turbine, auxiliary system, control system, engineering, supervision of the erection, and commissioning of the plant. The output of each genset is 17 MW, and the total output of the power plant is 130 MW. The electricity generated will be fed into the grid through an existing distribution substation.

The Malicounda power plant will initially operate on seven Wärtsilä 18V50 engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO). There is, however, an option to convert the engines to gas operation as soon as gas becomes available in Senegal.

Matelec will operate the plant to help satisfy baseload needs in Senegal, and a 10-year maintenance agreement with Wärtsilä will guarantee the high availability and reliability of the plant.

Wärtsilä Flexicycle™ power plants combine the benefits of a flexible, simple-cycle plant with the outstanding efficiency of a combined cycle plant. The Flexicycle™ solution is based on gas, multi-fuel, or liquid fuel power plants combined with a steam turbine. Flexicycle™ power plants can operate in a highly-efficient combined cycle mode as well as in a dynamic rapid simple-cycle mode.

The Government of Senegal has prioritised the development of the power sector, making it a central part of its Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE), in which Senegal aims to become an emerging economy by 2025 and provide electricity access for everyone.

Senegal has substantial potential to develop solar and wind power and its offshore natural gas resources. For the renewables, the country is also exploring other crucial technologies including energy storage.

The Malicounda project is further proof of Wärtsilä’s understanding of the constraints and way of working of IPP’s.

Main data

Customer	Matelec Group
Type	Wärtsilä 50 based Flexicycle™ power plant
Operating mode	Baseload power production for the national grid
Gensets	7 X Wärtsilä 18V50
Total output	130 MW
Fuel	Heavy fuel oil (option to convert to gas when available)
Scope	EEQ and a 10-year maintenance agreement
Delivered	Operational in 2020

Downloads & links

Malicounda case study (PDF)

Read the success story.

Flexicycle Power Plants (PDF)

In-depth information about our Flexicycle power plant solutions.

Gas & multi-fuel power plants (PDF)

In-depth information about Wärtsilä gas and multi-fuel power plant solutions.

Contact us

If you want to know more about the Malicounda project, please contact

Truchi, Marie-Andrée
Senior Business Development Manager
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Tel. +33 1 47768928