Wartsila, a global market leader in gas-fired combustion engine power plants, has joined hands with Musandam Power Company to build a 120 MW power plant in Oman.
The smart power generation plant, to come up in the Musandam region of Oman, will be fully operational in late 2016, said a senior company official at the foundation stone laying ceremony held in the northern governorate of Musandam.
“The power plant will play an essential role in delivering flexible and sustainable energy to the governorate. The project will enable us to meet the power needs of current and upcoming projects in the region, as well as benefitting the local community,” stated Isam Al Zadjali, the CEO of Oman Oil Company, the majority owner of Musandam Power Company.
The foundation stone laying ceremony was held under the patronage of Sayyid Khalifa bin Al Murdas Al Busaidy, Governor of Musandam.
“The power plant will comprise 15 Wartsila 34DF engines, running mainly on natural gas. Light fuel oil will be used as back-up fuel,” stated Al Zadjali.
The multiple engine design enables ultra-flexible operations, such as responding to load variations between 10 and 120 MW, he added.
Wartsila said it will deliver the power plant on a turnkey basis. The contract includes a 15-year-long service and maintenance agreement.
“The project provides further proof of the competitiveness of engine power plants compared to traditional technologies. The power plant will offer operational flexibility, reliability and lifecycle value – not to mention efficiency in harsh conditions,” remarked Upma Koul, the business development manager at Wartsila Energy Solutions.
The engines, she said, are attuned to maintain top fuel efficiency in conditions of high humidity and extreme temperatures of up to 50 degrees.
“Wartsila is a market leader in gas-fired combustion engine power plants with an 80 per cent market share. Our installed capacity in the Middle East is approximately 7000 MW, and globally 58 GW,” added Koul.
In other Wartsila news, the company announced it has been contracted to supply the ship design for the Vestland Cygnus, a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) owned by Norway based Norside AS that is to be converted to serve as an offshore wind farm service vessel. The conversion will take place at the Fjellstrand yard in Norway.
The re-design includes several new features, such as an accommodation module for 134 people, a 100- tonne offshore crane with a range of 40 m, and a new footpath system for transferring personnel to offshore fixtures. The vessel will have SPS (Special Purpose Ships) class notation.
Following completion of the rebuild project, the Vestland Cygnus will transport service personnel to and from wind farms. It will be operated by Vestland Offshore, a Norway-based offshore vessel operator. The conversion is scheduled to be completed by June 2016.
