The global trend in power generation is moving towards greater flexibility and increased efficiency. The natural gas fuelled Wärtsilä 50SG engines offer high efficiency and the needed operational flexibility to be able to accommodate and control rapidly changing input levels of renewable energy sources to the system.
Wärtsilä, a leading global supplier of flexible and efficient power plant solutions, has received an order to supply the generating sets and related auxiliary equipment for a new power plant being built near Clatskanie in the state of Oregon, USA.
The Port Westward Unit 2 plant is being built for Portland General Electric Company, an investor owned utility. It will be powered by 12 Wärtsilä 50SG natural gas fuelled engines with an electrical output of approximately 220 MW, and is scheduled to be fully operational by 2015.
The Wärtsilä 50SG gas engine will allow Portland General Electric to have the operational flexibility to quickly respond to variable input levels of wind and hydro power to the system. Flexibility and high net electrical efficiency are salient features of the Wärtsilä 50SG units.
“The global trend in power generation is clearly moving towards greater flexibility and increased efficiency, and this order is yet another example. As utilities continue to integrate increasing levels of renewable power into their systems, the old traditional power plants are simply not capable of reacting quickly enough. Additionally, the Wärtsilä gas fuelled solutions feature low emissions, and this combination of flexibility, efficiency, and environmental sustainability is very much in demand,” says Wayne Elmore, Regional Director, Power Plants Sales, Wärtsilä North America.
To date, Wärtsilä has delivered power plants to the United States with a total output of more than 2,000 MW. Wärtsilä has an extensive reference list of power plant installations in the USA, including recent orders for power plant projects in Texas, California and Alaska. The Port Westward Unit 2 project and the power plant in Texas will be the first power plants in the USA using Wärtsilä 50SG engines.
The Wärtsilä 50SG engine
The Wärtsilä 50SG is a four-stroke, spark-ignited gas engine operating on the Otto cycle and incorporating the lean-burn principle. It has been designed using the proven gas technology used in the smaller Wärtsilä 34SG engine. An important feature of this engine is its exceptionally high power plant net electrical efficiency rating at high ambient temperatures - more than 50 percent in combined-cycle mode.
The lean-burn gas engines (SG) feature port admission of gas, a pre-chamber with controlled gas flow, as well as individual cylinder control of the gas charge and ignition timing. This choice of concept, along with extensive research in combustion and combustion control, has made it possible to elevate the efficiency from 40 per cent to more than 48 per cent in the bigger engine models. The combination of high efficiency and low emissions makes the 50SG a technology leader in today’s energy market.
Image of Wärtsilä 50SG engine
For further information please contact:
Wayne Elmore
Regional Director, Power Plants Sales
Wärtsilä North America.
Tel. +1 678 427 0125
wayne.elmore@wartsila.com
Tuula Franck
Senior Manager, Media and Stakeholder Relations
Wärtsilä Corporation
Tel: +358 400 267555
tuula.franck@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 2012, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.7 billion with approximately 18,900 employees. The company has operations in nearly 170 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
