Wärtsilä signs first service agreement for power plant in Zambia

2013-5-26

Wärtsilä, a leading global supplier of flexible and efficient power plant solutions and services, has signed an Operations & Maintenance (O&M) agreement with Ndola Energy Company Ltd (NECL), a subsidiary of Great Lakes Energy NV. The agreement was signed in April and is for ten years. It will cover the full operations, maintenance and servicing of the NECL power plant located in Ndola, Zambia.

The plant will be powered by a total of 6 Wärtsilä 32 engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO), a by-product supplied from the Indeni refinery, which is immediately adjacent to the plant. The plant is scheduled to commence commercial operations at the end of July 2013, and the electricity produced will be sold to Zambia Electricity Supply Company Ltd (ZESCO Ltd). When operational, the plant will have an electrical output capacity of 50 MW, which will be fed to the grid. It will be the first HFO power plant installed in Zambia to be exclusively operated by Wärtsilä.

"Our extensive experience and know-how in O&M as well as our capability to mobilize in such a short span, together with the efficiency and reliability of the Wärtsilä equipment will be of tremendous value in ensuring the success of this important project," says Kaj Nordman, Director Business Development Power Plant Agreements, Wärtsilä Services, Contract & Project Management. "The power plant is designed with high operating efficiency, low generating costs, and reliability as key criteria, and these are all areas where Wärtsilä excels."

The NECL power plant will contribute significantly towards Zambia achieving a more diversified energy mix and increased stability in its power generation. The country relies heavily on hydropower and this new power plant will complement Zambia's installed capacity. David Carroll, Business Development Manager, Ndola Energy Company Ltd, said: "This is a milestone achievement in developing the power generation business in Zambia. This is the first greenfield project from an independent power producer to operate in Zambia, with the funding being 100 percent private sector capital."