Page 23 - Energize May 2022

NEWS

Guaranteed asset performance agreement

for Senegal power plant

he technology group Wärtsilä has signed a ten-year strong presence in the country, along with our remote support
Guaranteed Asset Performance agreement with Malicounda capabilities, allow us to provide the essential performance
TPower of Senegal. The contract covers the 130 MW guarantees required,” added Marc Thiriet, Director, Africa West,
Malicounda Melec power plant located in Mbour, south of Senegal’s Wärtsilä Energy.
capital Dakar, scheduled to be commissioned in June 2022. Remote support from Wärtsilä’s Expertise Centres is central to
The long-term service agreement targets the further meeting the objectives of the agreement with Malicounda Power.
strengthening of Malicounda Power’s position as a power producer The support is based on Expert Insight, a unique and innovative
for Senegal’s grid. The signing took place in February 2022, and digital predictive maintenance tool utilising artificial intelligence
Wärtsilä will start to recognise order intake once the plant has been (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems
commissioned and is in operation. in real-time. Should anomalous behaviour be detected, it is flagged
The Wärtsilä Flexicycle power plant will operate with seven to specialists at a Wärtsilä Expertise Centre, allowing them to
Wärtsilä 50 engines. It combines the advantages of a flexible simple provide proactive support with an appropriate resolution before it
cycle operation with the outstanding efficiency of a combined becomes a major issue.
cycle plant. The agreement will provide operational reliability with Commissioning of the power plant is scheduled for June 2022.
scheduled maintenance and spare parts, as well as heat rate and The plant will initially operate with heavy fuel oil (HFO) but there
power output guarantees following major overhauls. is an option to convert to gas fuelled operation as soon as a gas
“We have contractual obligations that must be met, which supply becomes available. Currently, there is an inter-governmental
is why the plant’s operational reliability is extremely important. cooperation agreement between Senegal and Mauritania to
Wärtsilä’s maintenance support and capabilities as the Original develop significant gas resources, which will be shared by the two
Equipment Manufacturer will be essential to ensure that we meet African countries. The power plant is expected to help Senegal
our commitments. Wärtsilä’s proven competency and excellent bring down energy costs and integrate more renewable energy.
results achieved globally are convincing. They provide efficient Wärtsilä is Senegal’s leading provider of power generating
engines and are experts in their operation and maintenance,” said equipment, and already has 543 MW of installed capacity in
Samer Nasr, President, Malicounda Power. altogether 20 power plants in the country. With the Malicounda
“This power plant will add much needed generating capacity Melec power plant included, 458 MW of this capacity is under
to Senegal’s grid. It is an example of us creating value for our Wärtsilä long-term service agreements.
customers with industry leading availability and uptime, which is
critical for the grid. This agreement will deliver high efficiency and Contact Mirja-Maija Santala, Wärtsilä Energy,
productivity, together with cost predictability for the owners. Our mirja-maija.santala@wartsila.com, www.wartsila.com

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