Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release 18.6.2001
Wärtsilä has received its largest order ever for a gas-fired turnkey power plant (110 MW), located near the City of Plains End, Colorado. The customer is PG&E National Energy Group (NEG), a Bethesda, Maryland-based energy company. The power plant is scheduled to begin operation in May 2002. It will be one of the largest in the USA to use natural gas powered reciprocating engines. It will operate for up to 6,000 hours per year. The plant is based upon 20 Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines.
"Wärtsilä was chosen for its fast delivery time and ability to operate at peak efficiency even at high altitudes" commented Thomas M. Carbone, president of Wärtsilä North America. "Distributed power generation will help Plains End maintain its high level of service and low rates for electrical services, while mitigating the risks of power shortfalls."
Wärtsilä has won eight orders for gas fired power plants in the US, representing 325 megawatts, in the last six months – more than doubling its installed capacity in the United States.
Wärtsilä Corporation is the leading global ship power supplier and a major provider of solutions for decentralized power generation and of supporting services. In addition Wärtsilä operates a Nordic engineering steel company and manages substantial holdings to support the development of its core business. In 2000 Wärtsilä delivered 1,737 MW of power plants. The net sales of the Power Plants division amounted to EUR 835 million. The net sales of Wärtsilä Corporation in 2000 were EUR 2.7 billion.
For more information on Wärtsilä, visit the web site www.wartsila.com.
Eeva Kainulainen
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 40 568 0591
e-mail: eeva.kainulainen@wartsila.com
