Wärtsilä engine technology will enable Saudi Arabia mining site power plant to efficiently utilise solar energy

Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release, 8 April 2020 at 9 am EET

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engineering, equipment, and technical advisory for a 44 MW power plant to be installed at the Mansourah & Massarah Gold Project mine in Saudi Arabia. It will be the first newbuild power project in the country to utilise a hybrid concept, with engine technology and solar energy. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in March by Larsen & Toubro Ltd, the India-based main contractors for the project.The power plant will comprise six Wärtsilä 32 engines, with five in operation and one on constant stand-by. The built-in flexibility of the Wärtsilä engine technology, which allows full power output to be reached within minutes of being started, will allow the plant to efficiently utilise renewable solar energy. Renewable source energy, such as solar and wind, require the power plant to be able to respond rapidly to an inherently fluctuating supply to enable the load to be effectively balanced.

“Wärtsilä is a global energy solution provider with a strong presence in Saudi Arabia. Reliability is key for any gold mine for securing uninterrupted operations and targeted revenues in all occasions. The dedicated power plant will ensure that the mine can operate on a reliable and economical supply of electricity. In particular, we have selected the Wärtsilä technology because of its capability to enable the integration of PV solar into the system, which is important for this project,” commented Mr Amit Swarnkar, MENA BU Head, Metallurgical and Material Handling Division, Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

“Maximising the use of renewable energy is central to Wärtsilä’s approach to enabling sustainable energy supplies. We enhance this energy transition by optimising energy systems for our customers, and have extensive experience in providing power for mining operations, so this project fits our capabilities perfectly,” said Alexandre Eykerman, Energy Business Director, Middle East, Wärtsilä.

The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered on a fast-track basis within just 10 months from the contract signing. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by May 2021, with commercial operations beginning a year later.

The Mansourah & Massarah Gold project is being executed by the Consortium of Outotec and Larsen Toubro Limited. While Outotec remains the key technology provider for this project, Larsen & Toubro’s responsibility includes the entire balance of plant activities, including some critical process equipment, the entire plant utilities, power generation and distribution, as well as the civil and structural works, together with the complete plant installation activities and commissioning support.

The Mansourah & Massarah project is Saudi Arabian Mining Company’s (Ma’aden) largest ever gold project, estimated to produce an average of 250,000 ounces of gold per year over the life of the mine. The on-site processing plant will be capable of processing up to four million tonnes per year of the complex refractory ores contained in the deposit – the first time such ores have been mined and processed in the Middle East. The project is commissioned, and the mine will be operated by Ma’aden Gold and Base Metals Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ma’aden as part of the Saudi Government’s Vision 2030 initiative to diversify the national economy and promote the mining sector.

The Wärtsilä 32 engine is well established and proven in Saudi Arabia, with more than 100 units already installed in 15 baseload power plants.

Caption text 1: Wärtsilä 32TS generating sets. The Mansourah & Massarah Gold Project mine plant will comprise six Wärtsilä 32 engines, with five in operation and one on constant stand-by.

Caption text 2: Wärtsilä and Larsen & Toubro teams signed an engineering, equipment and technical advisory order for a 44 MW power plant at the Mansourah & Massarah Gold Project mine in Saudi Arabia in March 2020.

Read more:
Wärtsilä’s solutions for mining and cement industries

Articles in stakeholder magazine Twentyfour7:
Mining industry’s energy problem
Energy metals: Charging up renewables sector

For more information, please contact:

Sami Al Harbi
General Manager, Business Development, Middle East
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Mob. +966 55 845 5276
sami.alharbi@wartsila.com

Mirja-Maija Santala
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Mob: +358 400 793 827
mirja-maija.santala@wartsila.com

Wärtsilä Energy Business in brief
Wärtsilä Energy Business leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers unlock the value of the energy transition by optimising their energy systems and future-proofing their assets. Our offering comprises flexible power plants, energy management systems, and storage, as well as lifecycle services that ensure increased efficiency and guaranteed performance. Wärtsilä has delivered 72 GW of power plant capacity in 180 countries around the world. https://www.wartsila.com/energy/

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2019, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
https://www.wartsila.com