Energía del Pacífico has awarded a contract to Wärtsilä to supply turbines and engines for a 378MW Flexicycle power plant in Acajutla, El Salvador.
Under the €240m contract, Wärtsilä will supply the engines and turbines to the LNG-based natural gas fired power plant to be built by 2018.
The company said that the Flexicycle facility would be the largest and most efficient power plant in El Salvador, and would reduce electricity price in the region.
Energía del Pacífico managing director Alejandro Alle said: "One of the reasons why we selected Wärtsilä technology was the high reliability offered by Wärtsilä’s multi-unit Flexicycle solution."
The power plant will feature 19 Wärtsilä 50SG engines and a combined cycle steam turbine, designed to produce up to 50% of fuel efficiency.
The Dry Flexicycle technology with a closed loop cooling system eliminates the use of water, making it idle for the country, which recently faced the worst droughts in 40 years.
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions business development manager Raúl Carral said: "This landmark project will produce the cleanest thermal energy in El Salvador, and it will lower the price of electricity in the country."
El Salvador generates about 50% of its 1600MW capacity using oil.
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions regional director Sampo Suvisaari said: "This project proves that LNG can be imported into a relatively small country, and to a mid-sized power plant in a well-designed LNG-to-power project."
In 2014, Wärtsilä was selected to supply a 139MW Flexicycle power plant, comprising seven 50SG gas engines and a combined cycle, for Energia del Caribe in Mexico.
This plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016.
Wärtsilä has approximately 4800MW of installed power generation capacity in Central America and the Caribbean.
Image: Illustration of Flexicycle power plant in El Salvador. Photo: courtesy of Wärtsilä.