Wärtsilä gas conversion will add capacity to Brazilian power plant
The technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to convert the UTE Ponta Negra power plant to operate on natural gas instead of diesel fuel.
The conversion at the plant located in the Brazilian city of Manaus, will upgrade its performance, reduce its environmental impact, lower the operating costs and ensure its availability and performance reliability.
The contract with GERA Amazonas, an independent energy producer controlled by FIP Vulcan, a fund managed by BTG Pactual's Asset, was booked by Wärtsilä in September 2020.
The plant currently operates on five Wärtsilä 46GD gas-diesel engines, which will be converted to Wärtsilä 50SG engines powered by natural gas, allowing an increase in power generation capacity from the current 85 to 91 MW.
The conversion will enable the engines to be reset to zero hours of operation.
The use of 100% natural gas fuel will result in a reduction of 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) per year, equivalent to the pollution from some 7,600 cars. In addition, particulate matter (PM) emissions will also be significantly reduced. The conversion is scheduled to commence in May 2021 and be completed in spring 2022.
An existing Wärtsilä operation and maintenance agreement was also updated to correspond with the scope and responsibilities applying to the new engine technology. The plant, which was opened in 2006, has been operated and maintained by Wärtsilä for the past 12 years. “GERA develops sustainable energy solutions for its clients. By converting the plant to run on the highly efficient, highly flexible Wärtsilä 50SG engines with natural gas fuel, we are again emphasising this commitment to the environment,” said Alcio Adler, executive director of GERA Amazonas.
“The additional capacity will also allow us to negotiate and renew our Power Purchase Agreement with the regulatory agency. With Wärtsilä we have had a long and successful relationship and this conversion project, together with the renewed O&M agreement, shows the trust that we have in their ability to deliver the solutions we need.”
This third recent project in Brazil adds to the more than 100 engines worldwide, representing a total of more than 1.2 GWe, that Wärtsilä has converted to natural gas.
The conversion at the plant located in the Brazilian city of Manaus, will upgrade its performance, reduce its environmental impact, lower the operating costs and ensure its availability and performance reliability.
The contract with GERA Amazonas, an independent energy producer controlled by FIP Vulcan, a fund managed by BTG Pactual's Asset, was booked by Wärtsilä in September 2020.
The plant currently operates on five Wärtsilä 46GD gas-diesel engines, which will be converted to Wärtsilä 50SG engines powered by natural gas, allowing an increase in power generation capacity from the current 85 to 91 MW.
The conversion will enable the engines to be reset to zero hours of operation.
The use of 100% natural gas fuel will result in a reduction of 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) per year, equivalent to the pollution from some 7,600 cars. In addition, particulate matter (PM) emissions will also be significantly reduced. The conversion is scheduled to commence in May 2021 and be completed in spring 2022.
An existing Wärtsilä operation and maintenance agreement was also updated to correspond with the scope and responsibilities applying to the new engine technology. The plant, which was opened in 2006, has been operated and maintained by Wärtsilä for the past 12 years. “GERA develops sustainable energy solutions for its clients. By converting the plant to run on the highly efficient, highly flexible Wärtsilä 50SG engines with natural gas fuel, we are again emphasising this commitment to the environment,” said Alcio Adler, executive director of GERA Amazonas.
“The additional capacity will also allow us to negotiate and renew our Power Purchase Agreement with the regulatory agency. With Wärtsilä we have had a long and successful relationship and this conversion project, together with the renewed O&M agreement, shows the trust that we have in their ability to deliver the solutions we need.”
This third recent project in Brazil adds to the more than 100 engines worldwide, representing a total of more than 1.2 GWe, that Wärtsilä has converted to natural gas.
