Wärtsilä secures power supply for remote gold mine in Papua New Guinea

Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release 26 October 2016 at 09:30 UTC+2

Wärtsilä has signed a two-year maintenance and advisory agreement with Simberi Gold Company Limited. The agreement covers, in addition to scheduled maintenance, expert advisory services to ensure continuous and sufficient power supply for Simberi’s gold mine operations on Simberi Island. The 10 MW Simberi power plant operates in isolation from the national electricity distribution network and is located approximately 900 kilometres northeast of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Simberi Gold Company Limited is a subsidiary of St Barbara, an Australian ASX-listed gold producer and explorer. St Barbara's assets include the Leonora operations in Western Australia and the Simberi operations in Papua New Guinea. The Simberi mine started production in 2008 and produced 110,000 ounces of gold in the last financial year.

“We chose Wärtsilä as our partner because of their proven technical expertise and track record with our on-site power plant. A key consideration in selecting Wärtsilä was their ability to maintain their service level on-site here in Papua New Guinea. Being able to rely on Wärtsilä’s advice and support in running the mine’s power plant helps us maintain our own focus on the mining operation,” says Tim Richards, General Manager of Simberi Operations.

Expert advice available 24/7 throughout the year

Wärtsilä’s technical advisory services supports customers’ onsite personnel. Advice and recommendations are provided for planning of plant operations, engine maintenance and daily running of the power plant’s equipment. Wärtsilä’s experienced service personnel is also available to assist in troubleshooting and provide training of power plant personnel.

“Our first priority is to keep our customers’ operations running as smoothly as possible. With these agreements, we can help Simberi Gold Company Limited keep the power plant supporting the gold mine in good working condition and prevent unexpected disruptions. Should any issues surface, our service experts are always ready to assist and advise. We look forward to working together with Simberi,” says John Sydney, Director SUAA & Managing Director, Wärtsilä Services, Australia.

For further information, please contact:

John Sydney
Director SUAA & Managing Director
Wärtsilä Services, Australia
john.sydney@wartsila.com
Tel: +61418645060

Hanna Viita
Director, Marketing
Wärtsilä Services
hanna.viita@wartsila.com
Tel: +358 40 1671755

 

Wärtsilä Services in brief
Wärtsilä Services creates lifecycle services for its customers, enhancing their business – whenever, wherever. We provide industry’s broadest range of services for both shipping and power generation. Our solutions range from spare parts and basic support to ensuring maximised lifetime, increased efficiency and guaranteed performance of customer’s equipment or installation – in a safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable way.

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2015, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5 billion with approximately 18,800 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com