Wärtsilä, a leading supplier of flexible power plants and services to the global power generation market, has been awarded a contract by Hutchinson Utilities Commission (HUC) to supply a 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 34SG engine to HUC’s existing power plant located in the city of Hutchinson, Minnesota. The engine will have an electrical output of 9.3 MW.
The new engine will operate on natural gas and it includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and oxidation catalyst system to reduce emissions. This new installation will supply electricity for Hutchinson’s 7,000 customers. In addition, any surplus energy generated by the plant will be sold to the grid.
HUC selected Wärtsilä’s power generation technology due to their focus on a low cost method of providing reliable electricity to their customers. “We are excited to enter into this contract with Wärtsilä and look forward to working with them on this project and into the future,” stated Steve Lancaster, HUC Director Electric Division.
Gary Groninger, Business Development Manager for Wärtsilä stated: “This new system will provide maximum flexibility in operation with five minute start-up capability and superior efficiency at part-load operation. This power plant will provide benefits to the Hutchinson community for the next 40-50 years.”
The installation of the new engine is scheduled for June 2012 and the facility will be fully operational in fall 2012.
For further information, please contact:
Local contact - Wärtsilä:
Gary Groninger
Business Development Manager,
Power Plants, Wärtsilä North America Inc.
Direct tel: +1 913 523 5126
E-mail: gary.groninger@wartsila.com
Hutchinson Utilities Commission:
Steve Lancaster
Director Electric Division
225 Michigan St Hutchinson, MN 55350
320-234-0547
E-mail: Slancaster@ci.hutchinson.mn.us
About Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2010, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with more than 17,500 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
About Hutchinson Utilities Commission
Hutchinson Utilities Commission has provided economical, reliable electrical power to its customers since 1936. This new engine installation will allow HUC to continue to accomplish this while reducing the environmental impact. HUC is a customer owned Municipal Utility located 65 miles west of Minneapolis, St Paul Minnesota. http://www.hutchinsonutilities.com/