Wärtsilä-built flexible 94 MW power plant in Dresden is ready to support Germany’s energy transition

Wärtsilä Corporation, Trade press release 8 December 2022 at 15:00 UTC+2
  • The new, state-of-the-art gas engine CHP plant in Dresden generates 90 MW of electricity and 84 MW of heat, and is also black start capable. © Oliver Killig | SachsenEnergie AG
  • The flexible CHP plant, supplied and built by Wärtsilä for the German public utility SachsenEnergie was commissioned and handed over for commercial operation in November 2022 @Wärtsilä Corporation

The flexible Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, supplied and built by the technology group Wärtsilä for the German public utility SachsenEnergie, has been commissioned and handed over for commercial operation. The plant was extensively tested to verify its reliability and performance before the hand-over in November 2022. It will supply both 94 MW of electrical power and 84 MW of district heating for the city of Dresden.

The highly automated plant operates with eight Wärtsilä 31SG engines running on natural gas. The engines have the highest efficiency in their class and feature outstanding flexibility. Full output can be reached in five minutes or less from start-up, and they can synchronise with the grid in less than 30 seconds to provide immediate balancing capability. This is important, both for the utility’s participation in balancing power markets, and to facilitate greater integration of renewables - solar and wind power - into the system.

“This greatly strengthens our generating capacity. After intensive testing and validation, we are confident that we can provide high efficiency for the winter while at the same time providing the necessary flexibility. The energy systems are undergoing a major upheaval. The energy transition with the goal of decarbonisation, i.e. the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, requires innovative approaches for a sustainable and secure energy supply - this plant is part of the solution”, commented Dr. Frank Brinkmann, CEO of SachsenEnergie AG.

The plant was delivered by Wärtsilä on an engineering, procurement, and construction basis. Wärtsilä will also maintain the facility under a Guaranteed Asset Performance agreement for ten years, with a five-year extension option. The performance targets are determined based on measured data. Wärtsilä guarantees that these targets are met and maintained throughout the duration of the agreement.

“We are delighted to support SachsenEnergie in providing sustainable, safe, efficient, and affordable power and district heating generation. Future-proofed, flexible gas engine technology is the best means to unlock the full potential of renewables, and to support the ambitious energy transition in Germany. We are very proud of the partnership with SachsenEnergie. Through projects like these, the journey towards 100% renewable energy future gains pace,” said Kenneth Engblom, Vice President, Africa & Europe, Wärtsilä Energy.

Earlier published press releases:
Wärtsilä provides efficient and flexible 90 MW power plant to supply electricity and district heating for Dresden, Germany

Ground-breaking of flexible 90MW Wärtsilä combined heat and power plant for public utility in Dresden

More information:
Reference case DREWAG - Flexible combined heat and power plant (CHP)
Lifecycle Solutions for power plants - Wärtsilä Energy (wartsila.com)

Media contact for more information on this release:

Mirja-Maija Santala
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wärtsilä Energy
Mob: +358 400 793 827

mirja-maija.santala@wartsila.com

Image 1: The new, state-of-the-art gas engine CHP plant in Dresden generates 90 MW of electricity and 84 MW of heat, and is also black start capable. © Oliver Killig | SachsenEnergie AG

Image 2: The flexible CHP plant, supplied and built by Wärtsilä for the German public utility SachsenEnergie was commissioned and handed over for commercial operation in November 2022 @Wärtsilä Corporation

All Wärtsilä releases are available at https://www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases and at http://news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation where also the images can be downloaded.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers in decarbonisation by developing market-leading technologies. These cover future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage and optimisation technology, including the GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com