Wärtsilä Flexicycle power plant inaugurated in Senegal

Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release, 14 June 2016 at 9:30 am EET

The new Cap des Biches power plant was inaugurated in Senegal on 13 June. The 53 MW Flexicycle plant comprises three Wärtsilä 46 internal combustion engines and a combined cycle heat recovery system. The ceremony was hosted by the owner of the plant, ContourGlobal, and the official inauguration of the plant was performed by the President of Senegal, Mr. Macky Sall.

"The Cap des Biches power plant proceeded from concept to the live generation of electricity in just 14 months - twice as fast as similar projects. This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the commitment of President Macky Sall and the close cooperation of Senelec, OPIC, IFC and our construction partner Wärtsilä," said Joseph C. Brandt, CEO of ContourGlobal.  

The power plant will feed electricity to the national grid under a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) between ContourGlobal and Senelec, the national electricity company of Senegal. The project is financed by International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank Group, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The project is part of the U.S. Government's Power for Africa initiative, which aims to add 30 000 MW of new power generation capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Wärtsilä and ContourGlobal have already signed a contract to expand the power plant with two additional Wärtsilä 46 engines having a combined capacity of 34 MW. Once completed, the 87 MW power plant will provide a 10 percent increase to Senegal's current total generation capacity of 860 MW, making it critical covering the growing electricity demand in Senegal. The parties have also signed a five-year maintenance and spare part agreement. 

The project is designed so that the plant can quickly be converted to Natural Gas as soon as it becomes available. Senelec has announced plans to invest in a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal. This will improve Senegal's fuel security, reduce carbon emissions, and lower the cost of electricity to the consumer. 

With the Cap des Biches extension project completed, Wärtsilä's installed capacity in Senegal will reach 465 MW, some 55 percent of the country's total capacity. In all of Africa, Wärtsilä has delivered approximately 6500 MW of power plant capacity in 46 countries. Globally, Wärtsilä's installed base is 58 GW in 175 countries. 

Link to photo
Caption: Cap des Biches power plant

Link to the extension contract press release, December 2015

Marie-Andree Truchi
Business Development Manager
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: +33 680 122 006
marie-andree.truchi@wartsila.com

Jukka-Pekka Niemi
General Manager, Marketing
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: +358 50 465 2805
jukka-pekka.niemi@wartsila.com

Wärtsilä Energy Solutions in brief
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions is a leading global supplier of ultra-flexible power plants of up to 600 MW operating on various gaseous and liquid fuels. Our portfolio includes unique solutions for baseload, peaking, reserve and load-following power generation, as well as for balancing intermittent renewable energy. Wärtsilä Energy Solutions also provides utility-scale solar PV power plants, as well as LNG terminals and distribution systems. As of 2016, Wärtsilä has 60 GW of installed power plant capacity in 176 countries around the world.
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Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2015, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 5 billion with approximately 18,800 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
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