The Wärtsilä supplied 100MW combined heat and power plant to municipal energy producer Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden (KMW) has achieved its first start.

Wärtsilä

Image: The CHP plant for KMW supplied by Wärtsilä. Photo: Courtesy of KMW.

For the power plant, Wärtsilä supplied its gas-fuelled Wärtsilä 34SG engines. Full operation at the plant will take place later this year. KMW, in the near future, will be able to supply 100MW of electricity from the plant and 96MW of district heating to nearly 40,000 households in the city of Mainz.

The Finnish company received an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the facility, which also includes 15-year service agreement with performance guarantees.

Wärtsilä Energy Business Europe vice president Melle Kruisdijk said: “This start of the engines brings us one step closer to the completion of this state-of-the-art power plant. We are proud to deliver a power plant to KMW which will support Germany’s ambitious energy transition towards a renewable energy future.

“The planned coal-exit and the increasing share of renewables in the power system mean that there will be an even greater need for flexible and efficient capacity,”

The engines, which are claimed to achieve up to 90% efficiency and the engines’ efficient use of natural gas, can help the KMW in reducing emissions.

After the power plant begins operations, the Mainz-Wiesbaden area is expected to transition from a traditional power and heat generation system to a modern, agile, low-carbon system powered by green energy assets to the full extent.

Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden CEO Lars Eigenmann said: “This first run of the engines at our combined heat and power (CHP) plant is a very special moment, raising the pleasant anticipation for the start of operations.”

In January this year, Wärtsilä secured a contract to deliver a combined heat and power engine power plant (CHP) with 90MW capacity, in Dresden, Germany. The order was placed by DREWAG, a local utility company in Dresden. Wärtsilä will also maintain the plant for 10 years, with scope for a five year extension.

For the order, the company will supply eight of its 31SG engines, powered by natural gas.