Wärtsilä was awarded in December 2007 its first order for a standardised Wärtsilä GasCube power plant. PT PLN (Persero) Wilayah Kalimantan Timur, a regional subsidiary of the Indonesian state-owned utility company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) (Persero), has ordered two Wärtsilä GasCube power plants with a combined electrical output of 14 MWe. To be installed on a single site at Bontang in the province of East Kalimantan, the GasCubes will run on locally-available natural gas to generate electricity for the national grid.
Each of these Wärtsilä GasCube plants incorporates a Wärtsilä 16V34SG gas engine. The two GasCubes are due to be handed over in March 2009.
PT PLN (Persero) has been a long-time customer of Wärtsilä and operates many Wärtsilä power plants at locations throughout the Indonesian archipelago. The GasCubes were selected because of their high generating efficiency and a small footprint.
Owing to a limit on the availability of natural gas on site, the new power plants’ electrical output is limited to 14–15 MWe. The Wärtsilä GasCubes, with a combined output of 14 MWe, came within this specification and are able to be run at almost full load for best utilisation and lowest cost of generation.
Furthermore as the engines use spark ignition, they do not need any liquid fuel, such as diesel oil, for ignition. This saves on the expense, space and resources that would be required for storage and handling of liquid fuel.
Wärtsilä GasCubes
The Wärtsilä GasCube is a standardised power plant that provides industrial customers, utilities and independent power producers with small, 7 to 26 MW gas power plants on a turnkey basis, in an economical, reliable and fast way. There is also a corresponding OilCube for use with a wide range of liquid fuels.
Each Cube is a complete single-engine power plant with all the ancillaries and components needed to form a working power production unit. Each plant is of cubical construction with radiators on the roof and an exhaust gas stack close to the Cube. The GasCube is based on Wärtsilä 34SG engines whereas the OilCube is based on Wärtsilä 32 engines. A single Cube provides up to 9 MWe. They are delivered with all components and structures above ground.
The Cubes have a low voltage electrical system inside, including plant programmable logic control (PLC). The Cubes are monitored and operated locally. Remote monitoring is also possible. The electrical distribution system and monitoring units can, for example, be installed in the client’s facility or supplied in a separate building.
The Wärtsilä GasCube and OilCube turnkey plants present clear advantages for customers that do not have their own construction capabilities and project handling resources: one single, trusted supplier; a complete, standardised power production unit including all ancillaries; and compact, modular systems with minimum work on site and consistent quality.
As these are standardised plants, they are ready for fast and easy installation. Standardisation also facilitates fast start-up with ready software and interface solutions. The Cubes employ proven technology and are designed for operation with minimum staff on site and for easy maintenance.
The plants are also ready for modular plant extension. The standardised design of the Cubes gives flexibility in optimising the plant layout. Starting with a single cube, the customer can easily develop the power plant by adding new cubes to the power plant as power demands grow.
The small footprint and the minimum interface with the surrounding environment also open up new possibilities in placing the Cubes. For example the back yard of an industrial plant is well suited for this compact solution. The fact that the Cubes have closed circuit cooling systems that reduce water consumption to a minimum makes them perfectly suitable for remote locations or any location where water is scarce.
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 16,000 professionals manning 150 Wärtsilä locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on The Nordic Exchange in Helsinki, Finland.
For further information, please contact:
Maria Nystrand
Public Relations Manager, Power Plants
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1456
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: maria.nystrand@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
