The Sasol Gas Engine Power Plant was developed on a turnkey basis by Wärtsilä.
Wärtsilä was responsible for engineering, procurement, construction and management of the new power plant.
Sasol Gas Engine Power Plant is powered by 18 Wärtsilä 34SG generating sets running on natural gas.
Wärtsilä said that it is the largest operational power plant running exclusively on gas engines on the African continent and first of its kind in South Africa.
The company has supplied the complete turnkey project package at an altitude of 1,500m on a fast-track basis.
The electricity generated at the facility will be used by Sasol’s chemical factory situated next to the plant and almost half of the production will be fed into the national grid.
Sasol International Energy New Business Development and Technology senior group executive Lean Strauss said, "This plant is a significant milestone for Sasol, as we begin to ease our load on the national grid and contribute to our own energy efficiency targets."
Under a three-year contract, Wärtsilä will operate and maintain the power plant and ensure that it delivers the design output with maximum efficiency.
