Wärtsilä has signed an operations and maintenance (O&M) contract with QIT Madagascar Minerals S.A (QMM), part of the Rio Tinto group, for its 23.8 MWe power plant. The power plant is located at the company’s ilmenite mineral sands mine at Fort Dauphin, in south-eastern Madagascar.
“This is our first operations and maintenance contract in Madagascar, and it marks another important step for the development of Wärtsilä in the region. It emphasizes our commitment to expanding our presence and developing regional expertise for both marine and land installations”, said Teppo Suominen, Managing Director of Wärtsilä’s branch office in Madagascar.
Wärtsilä was awarded a turnkey contract in 2006 to deliver the 23.8 MWe power plant for the QMM mine in Madagascar. The power plant is scheduled to begin delivering power in September 2008. After completion, Wärtsilä will be responsible for all aspects of its operation, including hiring personnel, transfer of skills and maintaining the power plant.
The plant will be operated using six Wärtsilä nine-cylinder type 32 generating sets. The units have full waste heat recovery systems to generate steam for use in the mining operation’s drying process. The electricity produced will be mostly used by the mine itself, with a small portion being supplied to the local grid. The electrical system to be supplied by the plant is isolated from other power supplies.
Wärtsilä O&M agreements
Wärtsilä’s O&M agreements focus on optimizing performance and maximizing equipment life, thereby cutting plant operation costs and maximizing investment productivity. At the same time, they free the installation’s owners to concentrate on their core business.
Wärtsilä takes full performance and operational responsibility for the installation, engines and auxiliary systems. With more than 3700 MW of references, Wärtsilä’s O&M agreements provide proven performance and reliability.
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 17,000 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
