The turn-key engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) order includes four Wärtsilä 32TS engines running on heavy or light fuel oil. The plant is expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2018. The order is included in Wärtsilä’s order book for the fourth quarter of 2016.
The power plant will provide a reliable electricity supply to the Geita gold mine, located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. Being off-grid means that the mine needs to secure its own power supply and Wärtsilä’s technology fits the need very well. Since the mine needs to remain operational at all times, the reliability, high efficiency, and quality of the Wärtsilä solution were key factors in the award of the contract. Additionally, Wärtsilä has a strong track-record of EPC projects in various locations in Africa.
The Wärtsilä 32TS engines are two-staged turbocharged, making them ideally suited for tough operating environments, such as the high elevation location of the Geita mine. ”Our two-stage turbocharged 32TS engines are well suited for this particular application. The Wärtsilä power plant offers high simple cycle efficiency, and little deration on the electrical power at the elevated site conditions”, says Joost Bos, Business Development Manager at Wärtsilä Energy Solutions.
Wärtsilä has a strong footprint in Africa with an installed base of more than 6500 MW. Globally, Wärtsilä’s installed base is more than 60 GW in 176 countries.
