Benndale, Mississippi, USA
Cooperative Energy + Wärtsilä

Reference case

Sustainable power generation with the optimal balancing solution

Enabling an increase in variable generation with more flexible capacity that can rapidly start up when needed.

Intermittent renewable energy generation in the United States has seen a staggering 700% increase between 2008 and 2019, with solar and wind generation accounting for around 350 million MWh of power generation in 2019. The subsequent increase in variable generation means that flexibility is increasingly important in the energy system.


Cooperative Energy, a not-for-profit electricity cooperative covering 432,000 homes and businesses in the US state of Mississippi, was looking to upgrade one of its plants in order to help it supply affordable, flexible and reliable power. Wärtsilä’s comprehensive solution comprises a plant powered by two gas-fired Wärtsilä 31SG engine generating sets and covered by a 10-year service agreement.

WhoCooperative energy
What22,7 MW peaking gas power plant
WhereMississippi, USA
How2X20V31SG

 

This is what we achieved

22,7MW

Flexible power generation to integrate high levels of energy from renewable sources.

432K

Homes and businesses powered in Mississippi.

10 years

Optimised maintenance agreement.

I wanted to be satisfied with the technology and the people behind it, so we visited Wärtsilä’s factory and testing facilities and met the engineers. This is not just about a product, but the people. I needed to be comfortable with everyone involved in design, installation and maintenance. I was very impressed.

Jim Compton, President Emeritus of Cooperative Energy

How we did it

Challenge icon

Challenge

  • Efficient power generation in a market with increasing levels of renewables
  • Mitigate financial and timing risks in construction
  • Resilient and reliable generation in a hurricane-prone region
  • Maintain the plant and its performance over the lifecycle
Solution icon

Solution

  • Full EPC delivery
  • Wärtsilä plant integrated with customer’s system
  • A flexible Wärtsilä 31SG gas power plant with the ability to respond rapidly to continuously changing load patterns of systems with renewables
  • 10-year Wärtsilä Optimised maintenance service agreement
Benefit icon

Benefit

  • Efficient and flexible power supply with a reduced environmental footprint
  • One EPC supplier with full responsibility for both timelines and costs
  • Fast starting; ability to supply power to key facilities such as hospitals during a natural disaster
  • Ensure optimised plant performance and efficiency over the lifecycle

The main details

Customer Cooperative energy
Type Wärtsilä 31SG peaking gas plant
Where Mississippi, USA
Total output 22,7 MW
Fuel Natural gas
Scope EPC with 10-year maintenance services ageement
Delivery2020

 

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Related press releases

Long-term Wärtsilä agreement will deliver guaranteed performance for Argentinian power plant

Apr 30, 2020, 13:00 by Wärtsilä Corporation

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year Optimised maintenance and an optional Operational advisory service agreement with one of Argentina’s major energy sector company. The agreement provides a guaranteed performance for a 57.6 MW power plant delivering electricity to its own operations in the south region of Argentina, with any excess power being sent to the national grid. Signing of the agreement took place in March and it will take effect when the plant commence operations. Wärtsilä will recognise the order intake following commissioning.

The scope of the agreement includes remote operational support and maintenance planning, provided by Wärtsilä’s Expertise Centre in Brazil, executing planned and unplanned maintenance, covering both spare parts and labour, and an optional permanent on-site advisor. This broad scope is in line with Wärtsilä’s customer support approach. With Wärtsilä Lifecycle solutions, the company maintains and optimises the plant performance of its customers. This support encompasses technology, software and service expertise as well as a holistic view and understanding of installations on a system level through a long-term service agreement. Each solution is always customized to meet the customer’s needs and operating profile.

The power plant will operate on five Wärtsilä 31SG gas engines, the most efficient gas engine in its class. The power plant is expected to become fully operational later this year and it will be the largest in the world utilising the Wärtsilä 31SG engine. By its ability to reach full output within minutes of start-up, the Wärtsilä 31SG is able to effectively balance the renewable energy input from an adjacent wind farm. This creates an energy system that is essentially a hybrid arrangement.

“Maximising the availability of the plant and reliable operations is essential for the customer. Wärtsilä’s vast experience in carrying out timely maintenance and expertise to advice on the operations to ensure guaranteed performance was a prime consideration in the award of this contract. Our remote engine monitoring capabilities are world-class, and the high efficiency of the Wärtsilä 31SG engines will deliver the reliability and performance expected,” said Jorge Alcaide, Energy Business Director, Americas, Region South at Wärtsilä. 

The site is located in an area where the ambient conditions can be challenging, with wind speeds of up to 180 kilometres an hour, and temperatures ranging from - 15 to + 40 degrees centigrade. The Wärtsilä 31SG is designed to operate efficiently, even in these conditions.

Earlier published press release: Power plant with Wärtsilä 31SG engines to secure reliable energy supply in harsh climatic conditions in Argentinian oil fields

Read more about Wärtsilä Lifecycle solutions and Wärtsilä gas power plants.
 

Caption text: Broad scope of services in a Wärtsilä 10-year Optimised maintenance agreement with one of Argentina’s major energy sector companies provides guaranteed performance for a 57.6 MW power plant.

For more information, please contact:

Luciano Moltedo
Agreement Sales Manager
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Mob. +541138159380
luciano.moltedo@wartsila.com  

Mirja-Maija Santala
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Mob: +358 400 793 827
mirja-maija.santala@wartsila.com

 

Wärtsilä Energy Business in brief

Wärtsilä Energy Business leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers unlock the value of the energy transition by optimising their energy systems and future-proofing their assets. Our offering comprises flexible power plants, energy management systems, and storage, as well as lifecycle services that ensure increased efficiency and guaranteed performance. Wärtsilä has delivered 72 GW of power plant capacity in 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy/

 

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2019, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. 
www.wartsila.com

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