Wärtsilä to build the largest gas engine plant in the USA for Barrick Mines

Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. (Barrick) of Toronto, Canada, has selected Wärtsilä Corporation to supply a gas power plant in Nevada, USA. It is Wärtsilä’s largest gas power plant contract to date for decentralized generation. The plant will be located about 15 miles (24 km) east of Reno, Nevada and will serve Barrick’s Goldstrike property in northeastern Nevada.

The contract specifies a large power plant of 14 reciprocating gas-fired Wärtsilä 20V34SG engines with a total net output of 115.6 MW. Wärtsilä will be providing the power plant to Barrick under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement. The plant will become the largest operating gas reciprocating engine plant in the USA, based on summer rated capability, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The power plant is expected to be commercially operational by October 2005, only 12 months from signing of the contract. Financial details of the sale are not disclosed.

“Wärtsilä’s generator sets addressed our critical issues better than did simple cycle gas turbine technology,” said Larry Morasse, construction manager for Barrick. “The reciprocating engine technology demonstrated clear superiority in several areas: almost no water usage, minimal time required for startup, flexible load following characteristics and price. In addition, Wärtsilä’s generators were more efficient in the hot, dry and high-altitude conditions at the project site in Nevada.” The engines will operate at an altitude of 4,340 ft. ASL at the Barrick site without suffering de-ration, unlike traditional gas turbine technology.

Barrick’s Goldstrike property consists of an open pit mine, two underground mines and two large milling facilities. Barrick’s parent company, Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corporation, is a leading international gold mining company, with operating mines and development projects in the USA, Canada, Australia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Tanzania.

“We are extremely excited about being able to deliver a project of this size and scope to further prove our decentralized, intermediate generation model, especially to the mining industry,” said Frank Donnelly, Vice President, Power Plants for Wärtsilä North America. “Our engine technology is well-suited to meeting the critical needs of mining companies which require reliable power. We are committed to delivering on our unique value proposition to industries such as mining that can most benefit from our technology and expertise in power generation.”

Top 5 Internal-Combustion Power Plants in the USA (ranked by summer rating capability)
 

* Operational October 2005

**Plants using Wärtsilä engines

Notes to the editor:
Wärtsilä is The Ship Power Supplier for builders, owners and operators of vessels and offshore installations. We are the only company with a global service network to take complete care of customers’ ship machinery at every lifecycle stage. Wärtsilä is a leading provider of power plants, operation and lifetime care services in decentralized power generation. The company provides power plants for baseload, peaking, and combined heat and power applications. Wärtsilä also supplies complete solutions for mechanical drive applications onshore and offshore. The product range comprises gas- and oil-fired power plants with outputs from 1 MW to 300 MW, biopower plants with outputs from 1 to 5 MWe and biothermal plants for 3–17 MWth.

Wärtsilä’s installed base represents approximately 130,000 MW worldwide. The company supplied more than 1,100 MW of power generation equipment for power plants around the world in 2003.

Wärtsilä is headquartered in Helsinki with representatives in more than 60 countries.

For more information on Wärtsilä, visit the website at www.wartsila.com

For further information, please contact:
Yvonne Rönn
Public Relations Manager, Power Plants
Wärtsilä Finland Oy
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1456
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: yvonne.ronn@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com

John Goss
Ceejay International Communications
Tel: +852 2609 0691
Fax: +852 2609 1351
e-mail: john@ceejay.com.hk