Wärtsilä Corporation today opened a new, expanded office and workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan. The need for the new premises arose with the rapid expansion of work involved with the growing number of Wärtsilä power plants in the country and the number of vessels on the Caspian Sea fitted with Wärtsilä equipment.
The new 740 m2 offices and 1100 m2 workshop will provide a full range of sales and support services for both power plant and marine customers locally. The new premises in Baku also serve as a regional office for Wärtsilä activities in Central Asia.
Azerbaijan and Central Asia are rapidly growing markets for Wärtsilä, both in power plants and in shipping. The key driving forces are the availability of local natural gas to fuel power plants, the development of local oil and gas resources, and general growth in the regional economies. The new premises inaugurated today demonstrate Wärtsilä’s intention to stay and grow in these markets.
Wärtsilä expected to grow
Wärtsilä has been present in Azerbaijan for about ten years. Currently Wärtsilä employs 59 people in Baku. The number is expected to grow to 75 in the course of this year. At present, 43 of these people are working in the premises while the remainder are employed at the various power plants in Azerbaijan. The great majority of the employees are local people and they are all trained to Wärtsilä’s global standards. Through expanding, Wärtsilä provides local employment.
The new workshop includes facilities for reconditioning of fuel injection equipment, liner honing, turbocharger reconditioning and rebalancing, servicing automation equipment, machining, and the storage and handling of spare parts. Wärtsilä will be able to respond faster to customer needs through this local availability of high-quality services and parts supply.
Wärtsilä delivered power plants with output of 450 MWe
Wärtsilä currently has five power plants in operation in Azerbaijan with a combined output of 450 MWe at Astara, Baku, Khachmaz, Nakhchivan and Sheki. Operated by Azerienerji, the Azerbaijan electricity company, they are equipped with fifty-two 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 34SG gas-fuelled engines in V-configuration and supply to the national grid. Further plants ordered by Azerienerji include a 300 MWe plant with eighteen 18-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel generating sets in Vee-form configuration at Sangachal and a 104 MWe plant with twelve 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 34SG generating sets in Vee-form configuration at the Guba sports complex.
An important function of the new Wärtsilä premises will be to supervise operations and maintenance of the Azerienerji power plants by Wärtsilä under maintenance contracts. As experience is built up in the Baku office it will lead to further development of services in the region to match the lifecycle needs of existing and forthcoming installations.
Better support for marine customers
For the marine market, the new office will enable Wärtsilä to offer more efficient and fully focused support to the large fleet of vessels fitted with Wärtsilä equipment operating in the Caspian oil and gas fields and the waterways linked to the Caspian Sea.
Link to picture
Caption: Wärtsilä Corporation today opened a new, expanded office and workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan. Mr Ismo Haapala; Director, Wärtsilä in Azerbaidjan and Mr Jan Egberts; Wärtsilä Regional Field Service Director, North, Central & East Europe, cut the ribbon.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Ismo Haapala
Director
Wärtsilä Azerbaidjan LLC
Tel: +994 12 545 9141
Fax: +994 12 545 9145
e-mail: ismo.haapala@wartsila.com
Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Public Relations Manager
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä enhances the business of its customers by providing them with complete lifecycle power solutions. When creating better and environmentally compatible technologies, Wärtsilä focuses on the marine and energy markets with products and solutions as well as services. Through innovative products and services, Wärtsilä sets out to be the most valued business partner of all its customers. This is achieved by the dedication of more than 17,000 professionals manning 160 Wärtsilä locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on The Nordic Exchange in Helsinki, Finland. www.wartsila.com
