The technology group Wärtsilä has successfully handed over two new gas engine plants ordered by Centrica, a British multi-national energy and services company. The project is in line with the company’s strategy for de-centralised power production and will ease the integration of intermittent renewable capacity, notably solar and wind power. Wärtsilä was selected to deliver Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) solutions for both sites, located at Brigg and Peterborough in the UK. The orders were booked in January 2017.
The two 50 MW plants will balance the stability of the grid and together will generate enough electricity to supply 100,000 homes. The two-minute fast-starting flexibility of the Wärtsilä solution will support local peaks in demand and the inevitable fluctuations in supply from renewable sources. Operational flexibility provided by Wärtsilä ensures having energy available when the supply from renewables drops.
“We’re pleased to open these two new plants, which will help meet the UK’s changing energy needs and ultimately support the transition to a low carbon future by providing an important back up to renewable generation. We’re seeing increasing demand for flexible power so this is an important demonstration of how we can help our customers to navigate the new energy landscape and deliver a variety of end-to-end solutions including onsite generation, demand side response and energy storage,” said Mark Futyan, Distributed Power Systems Director, Centrica Business Solutions.
“The UK is the leading country in shaping the electricity markets and Centrica is one of its leading operators. Today, renewable power sources provide roughly a quarter of the country’s total generation capacity, compared to five percent in 2006, and the share is increasing all the time. To support this trend, fast-starting, flexible generation is essential,” added, Bent Iversen, Senior Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä Energy Solutions.
The two plants will each utilise five Wärtsilä 34SG engines running on natural gas and have now entered commercial operation.
Image caption: The 50 MW Wärtsilä-built plant in Brigg (above, in front) will balance the stability of the grid. Together with the 50 MW Peterborough plant they will generate enough electricity to supply 100,000 homes.
For more information, please contact:
Bent Iversen
Senior Business Development Manager
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: +45 40 14 12 07
bent.iversen@wartsila.com
Fabien Cadaut
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: + 358 40 756 5959
fabien.cadaut@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions in brief
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions is leading the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. As an Energy System Integrator, we understand, design, build and serve optimal power systems for future generations. Our offering includes ultra-flexible internal combustion engine-based power plants, hybridised solar power plants, energy storage & integration solutions, as well as gas to power systems. Wärtsilä’s solutions provide the needed flexibility to integrate renewables and secure power system reliability. Wärtsilä has 68 GW of installed power plant capacity in 177 countries around the world.
www.wartsila.com/energy
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2017, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.9 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com