Today Wärtsilä was selected to supply a gas power plant in Humboldt Bay, California for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), one of the largest gas and electric utilities in the United States. The value of the project is more than EUR 100 million.
The agreement is subject to the approval of the California Public Utility Commission and environmental permits issued by the California Energy Commission. The plant is expected to enter commercial operation by mid-2009.
The 163 MW plant will produce reliable electricity for the local grid in California ’s north coast. PG&E selected Wärtsilä’s technology in order to repower their existing Humboldt Bay plant. The new facility will be 35% more efficient with 90% fewer air emissions. The plant will produce enough electricity to serve roughly 125,000 California homes.
“This project marks a significant entry for Wärtsilä in California. Wärtsilä gas engine technology is an outstanding choice for the utility’s energy shaping requirements, as well as for the state of California ’s increasing environmental concerns. Our technology offers high simple cycle efficiency on full and part load as well as other ancillary service benefits that make the Wärtsilä solution a natural choice for this operation,” says Mr. Frank Donnelly, Vice President, Power Plants, Wärtsilä North America.
Further information:
Frank Donnelly,
Vice President, Power Plants,
Wärtsilä North America,
tel. +1 281 233 6201.
Eeva Kainulainen,
Vice President, Corporate Communications and IR,
tel. +358 40 568 0591.
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 12,000 professionals manning 130 Wärtsilä offices in over 60 countries around the world.
About Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company incorporated in in 1905, is one of the largest combination natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, the company is a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG - News). Pacific Gas and Electric Company's primary business is the transmission and delivery of energy. The company provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 15 million people throughout a 70,000 square-mile service area in northern and central California. The service area stretches from Eureka in the north to Bakersfield in the south, and from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the >Sierra Nevada > in the east. www.pge.com.
