Wärtsilä Corporation has won a repeat order for a 49.5 MW power barge from the Caribbean island of Jamaica. It will join an existing 74 MW Wärtsilä power barge delivered ten years ago.
The new power barge has been ordered by the independent power producer (IPP) Jamaica Energy Partners LLC under a turnkey contract. Jamaica Energy Partners is a company controlled by the Latin Power Funds I and II. These funds, formerly known as the Scudder Latin America (SLAP) funds, are today managed by Conduit Capital Partners out of New York City. This deal constitutes the fourth transaction between the LP funds and Wärtsilä throughout the course of a successful twelve-year relationship.
The new barge will be equipped with three generating sets, each driven by a Wärtsilä 18V46 engine. The barge will be provided with all necessary ancillary equipment for independent operation, including treatment plant for the heavy fuel oil used by the engines and a 138 kV electrical substation.
The barge will be constructed and outfitted in Singapore. Delivery of the barge to Jamaica will be in December 2005, just 12 months after the contract was signed. The barge will be located in Old Harbour, Jamaica.
The generating plant has a gross output of 51 MW, giving a net output from the barge of 49.5 MW. The electrical power will be fed into the distribution grid of the utility company Jamaica Public Service Co Ltd.
The earlier 74 MW power barge, ‘Dr Bird’, was delivered to Jamaica in 1994. It is equipped with eight Wärtsilä 12V46 generating sets. It is also operated by Jamaica Energy Partners. The success and reliability of this power barge, together with the after-sales support from Wärtsilä’s Caribbean office in Puerto Rico, were important factors in securing the contract for the new power barge.
The new power barge will provide greater cost efficiency than the existing power barge. Not only do the newer-generation engines have a lower fuel consumption than the older engines but they also have increased power output.
Valuable support for the new contract was provided by Clico Investment Bank of Trinidad and Tobago which arranged bridging financing for the project in a relatively short time.
For more information on Wärtsilä, please visit the website at www.wartsila.com or contact:
Yvonne Rönn
Public Relations Manager, Power Plants
Wärtsilä Finland Oy
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1456
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: yvonne.ronn@wartsila.com
John Goss
Ceejay International Limited
Tel: +852 2310 1368
Fax: +852 2609 1351
e-mail: john@ceejay.com.hk
