Wärtsilä signs operation and maintenance agreement following commissioning of Bahamian power plant

Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release, 16 January 2020 at 12 noon EET

A 132 MW power plant in The Commonwealth of Bahamas, supplied and built by the technology group Wärtsilä, was taken into commercial operation in December 2019. At the same time, Wärtsilä signed a two-year operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement with the plant owner, the Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd (BPL). Wärtsilä will transition, train, and develop the owner’s Bahamian work force for managing the new technology, while also providing key performance guarantees.

The Clifton Pier Station A power plant project was awarded to Wärtsilä in December 2018 on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract. The plant was urgently needed to replace an ageing facility, and to improve the reliability of the local grid. Wärtsilä delivered the new plant on a fast-track basis and succeeded in completing the entire project, from contract signing to commissioning, in just 12 months.

“Wärtsilä’s performance has been outstanding, and we are very grateful to the company for their support, professionalism and expertise in delivering and constructing the plant so quickly. We are now extending this cooperation through the O&M agreement, which will enable the plant to be expertly operated and maintained until such time as our own staff are trained to take over,” commented Whitney Heastie, CEO, Bahamas Power and Light Company.

In response, Mikael Backman, Wärtsilä Energy Business Director, Americas North, said: “Lifecycle support to the customer is at the heart of Wärtsilä’s strategy, and the O&M agreement is an important part of that commitment. The efficiency of the Wärtsilä power plant will considerably lower BPL’s fuel costs, and the fuel and operational flexibility of the engines will deliver notable benefits.”

The plant’s output is generated by seven Wärtsilä 50 engines, running on heavy fuel. There is a future development in process of bringing natural gas to the island. The engines can be converted to operate on gas when it becomes locally available, which will further reduce the operational costs of the power plant. The operational flexibility of the plant, which will be capable of reaching full output from start-up in a matter of minutes, will facilitate the introduction of increased levels of renewable energy into the system. The Wärtsilä engines can play an effective balancing role, ensuring system stability to offset the inevitable fluctuations in supply from wind and solar sources.

The electricity generated by the plant represents an estimated 50 percent of the projected 2020 summer peak load on the island of New Providence where it is located.

Earlier published press release: Wärtsilä delivers power plant on fast-track to help Bahamas Power and Light improve system reliability

Read more: Wärtsilä’s Lifecycle solutions

For more information, please contact:

Marc Tarbox
General Manager, Sales, Agreements and Projects
Wärtsilä Energy Business
Mob. +1 832 983 2121
Marc.tarbox@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 is leading the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We understand, design, build and serve optimal power systems for future generations. Wärtsilä’s solutions provide the needed flexibility to integrate renewables and secure power system reliability – unlocking an optimised energy transition for our customers. Our offering comprises engine-based flexible power plants, energy management systems and storage solutions. We support our customers over the lifecycle of their installations with services that enable increased efficiency and guaranteed performance. Wärtsilä has 71 GW of installed 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 2018, 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.
www.wartsila.com