Wärtsilä, a leading provider of flexible decentralised power generation solutions, has signed a contract to supply and install the largest gas engine power plant ever to be installed on the African continent. The power plant will be located in Kribi, a sea port lying on the Gulf of Guinea coast in the Republic of Cameroon. The contract for this turnkey project is valued at approximately EUR 120 million.
The order for this power plant project has been placed by the Independent Power Producer (IPP), Kribi Power Development Company (KPDC), an affiliate of AES Corporation. The scope of supply includes Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines that will run primarily on gas. The power plant is scheduled to become fully operational before the end of 2011. The electricity generated will be fed to the national grid.
There were a number of factors behind Wärtsilä winning this contract. The high efficiency of Wärtsilä’s solution at any required load, its economical superiority and the flexibility of the dual-fuel engines all proved to be critical to the decision making process.
The new power plant is needed in order to meet the increasing demand for power in the country. It will help diversify Cameroon’s power generation, which is predominantly based on hydropower. Also, with the added capacity, the old and inefficient thermal power plants can be closed, thereby reducing the environmental impact of the country’s electricity generation. It is estimated that the construction of the new power plant will create more than 500 jobs for the local workers and its operation will require training of more than 60 skilled workers.
“The flexibility and operational cost advantages offered by Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel engines are being recognised on a global scale. The Cameroon national grid is primarily driven by hydropower, which is obviously a fluctuating energy source. Our engines provide that critical support flexibility that allows the customer to adapt to these grid load variations and enhance the reliability of the electricity supply system, especially during the dry season. Furthermore, the utility is able to switch operation of the Wärtsilä engines from gas to light fuel oil during maintenance of the gas supply platform”, says Mr Arnaud Gouet, General Manager, Wärtsilä Power Plants in South Africa.
This project follows the December 2009 inauguration of the 86 MW Dibamba power plant in Yassa, Cameroon. The new power plant to be installed in Kribi, will bring the total power output supplied by Wärtsilä engines in Cameroon to nearly 450 MW.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Tony van Velzen
Regional Director, Africa
Wärtsilä Power Plants
Tel: +31 6 5345 2008
tony.vanvelzen@wartsila.com
Ms Tuula Franck
Senior Manager, External Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Tel: +358 400 267555
tuula.franck@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
