DREWAG, the local utility company in Dresden, is taking on the German energy transition by investing in a flexible 90-MW combined heat and power (CHP) engine power plant from Wärtsilä. In line with DREWAG’s commitment to both renewable energy and security of supply, the new plant offers the company both high deployment flexibility and black start capability.
DREWAG supplies nearly 300,000 household and industrial customers with electricity, natural gas, drinking water and district heat in the Dresden area.
The new flexible CHP gas engine power plant will produce electricity and district heating simultaneously and will be very important for the start-up of the Dresden grid in case of a blackout. It has no need for a separate emergency generator, as power for the plant’s necessary auxiliaries is supplied by a dedicated uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system. The plant enables DREWAG also to participate in the day-ahead, intra-day and balancing power markets.
The Dresden-Reick balancing power plant features eight Wärtsilä 31SG engines, that operate on natural gas, are extremely flexible and have the highest efficiency on the market. These gas engines are capable of reaching full output from start-up in approximately two minutes and can provide immediate grid stability. The plant can operate on the secondary balancing market in Germany even from standstill and synchronize to the grid in less than 30 seconds.
The Dresden-Reick facility is delivered on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis. Wärtsilä will also provide power plant maintenance under a Guaranteed Asset Performance Agreement for ten years, with a five-year extension option. The agreement guarantees the plant availability and starting reliability as well as safe operation of the power plant.
| WHO | SACHSHEN ENERGIE |
| WHAT | 90 MW FLEXIBLE CHP POWER PLANT |
| WHERE | GERMANY |
| HOW | EPC (Engineering, procurement & construction) |
MW of electrical output
MW of district heating output
and less to synchronise the plant to the grid
The state-of-the-art gas engine technology provided by Wärtsilä is designed to produce minute-to-minute power when it is most valuable. It is equipped with the highest level of efficiency and emission control systems to supply safe, clean, and affordable energy for the state capital for the coming decades.
- Dr. Frank Brinkmann, Managing Director, DREWAG
| Customer | SachshenEnergie |
| Type | Wärtsilä 31SG based combined heat and power (CHP) engine power plant |
| Operating mode | Flexible, power oriented production with district heating production, also supply for balancing power in different markets |
| Gensets | 8 x Wärtsilä 31SG |
| Total output | Over 90 MW electrical and approximately 84 MW of district heating |
| Fuel | Natural gas |
| Scope | EPC |
| Lifecycle solution | A 10-year guaranteed asset performance agreement, with a five-year extension option |
| Delivery | Operational in 2021 |
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