Wärtsilä to supply gas-fuelled power plant to UAE

Power plant supplier Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to supply the equipment and engineering for a power plant to be supplied to independent utility Utico FZC, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

The 39MW plant will be powered by four 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 34SG generating sets fuelled by natural gas. This will be the first power plant in the Middle East to be fuelled by gas engines. It is also Wärtsilä’s first power project in the UAE.

The power plant is expected to be operational in the spring 2012, and will be used to supply electricity to industries in the surrounding area. Due to the rapid growth in industrial projects and new real estate development in the surrounding area, there is an increasing demand for electricity generating capacity and the new power plant is intended to help in meeting this demand.

“As part of the expansion of this almost 40MW project to 80MW - and eventually to 100MW, Utico has chosen Wärtsilä to provide it with the efficiencies and higher reliability it seeks in the power sector. Wärtsilä’s gas engines are known for their high reliability and efficiency. Moreover, Wärtsilä’s depth of experience fits into Utico’s business model and plans to maintain growth through co-operation with major partners capable of delivering added value,” says Richard Menzes, Vice Chairman, Utico.

“This is a showcase project for Wärtsilä and another example of our ability to provide smart power generation solutions. It is our first gas-fuelled power plant in the United Arab Emirates, and it will demonstrate to operators throughout the region the high quality and reliability of our technology in this field,” says Lars-Åke Kjell, Regional Director, Wärtsilä Power Plants Middle East. “We were able to meet the customer’s needs for reliability, both technically and as a business partner. We will also be able to provide valuable support for the operation from our service centre in Dubai.”