W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4\u2019s has announced\u00a0 new contract signed with one of Egypt\u2019s major independent power producers (IPPs) Kahraba, a subsidiary of Egypt Kuwait Holding (EKH) in February 2022. Under the contract W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 will deliver new generating equipment to add approximately 20 MW of output to the existing Borg El Arab power plant located some 45 kilometres southwest of Alexandria, Egypt. Additionally, W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 will upgrade the existing 40 MW plant with the latest generation control system.<\/p>\n
The Borg El Arab plant currently operates with four W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 34SG engines running on natural gas, the cleanest of all widely available fuels. As a result of increased industrial demand for electricity in the region, additional generating capacity is needed, and because of the reliability of the existing operation, an additional two W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 34SG engines was deemed to be the optimal solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndustrial growth is vital to the region\u2019s economic development, and a reliable power supply is essential for driving this growth. We have been extremely satisfied with the efficiency and reliability of the W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 engines and the approach of W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4\u2019s personnel in serving our needs to optimise our operations. This is why we had no hesitation in selecting W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 again for this plant expansion project,\u201d said Magdi El Badry, Chairman & Managing Director of Kahraba.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have worked very closely with Kahraba in the past and are delighted to be working with them again on this important project. By operating the engines on locally available natural gas, the plant\u2019s environmental footprint is lessened. Furthermore, the flexibility of the W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 engines will enable the system to incorporate increasing levels of energy from renewable sources,\u201d commented Marc Thiriet, Director, W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 Energy, Africa West.<\/p>\n
Egypt, which has one of the largest electricity grids on the African continent, is making increasing use of renewable energy. The government has set targets for renewables to comprise 42% of the country\u2019s electricity mix by 2035, based on rapid solar and wind energy deployment. The fast-starting and stopping capabilities of W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4\u2019s gas engines provide the grid balancing needed to compensate for the intermittency of renewables. W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 engines are ready to also operate on sustainable fuels in the future, once they become widely available, which makes them a future-proof solution. Already today W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 engines can use synthetic and carbon-neutral methane and methanol, and hydrogen-blends. Sustainable fuels together with engines can take care of long-term energy storage needs for periods with persistently low wind or solar conditions.<\/p>\n
Kahraba is one of Egypt\u2019s most prominent IPP companies and the country\u2019s only authorised private buyer and seller of gas. W\u00e4rtsil\u00e4 has earlier delivered a number of power generating projects for Kahraba and other subsidiaries of EKH. The extended Borg El Arab plant is expected to become fully operational in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"