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Wärtsilä, a Finnish energy company, signed a contract to upgrade Cameroon’s 216-megawatt Kribi natural gas power plant. The plant has 13 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines which have been operational for almost a decade. The power plant runs on natural gas supplied from Cameroon’s offshore Sanaga South gas field.

The scope of work under the contract is to to upgrade the facility’s electrical and automation systems to ensure optimum reliability of the power plant. The contract was awarded by Kribi Power Development Company (KPDC), a subsidiary of Globeleq. KPDC is an independent power producer (IPP), and owns and operates power generating facilities across Africa.

“The Kribi power plant plays a vital role within the African energy sector. It supplies two-thirds of the thermal energy in Cameroon. The Kribi plant, therefore, plays a key role in ensuring a supply of safe, cheap, and reliable energy. For this reason, we are keen to upgrade the power plant’s automation systems to the latest design to ensure optimal reliability, and to strengthen our cooperation with Wärtsilä, leveraging their competencies continuously within the framework of the long-term service agreement,” said Gionata Visconti, Globeleq’s chief operating officer. 

Work on the project is expected to begin in 2023. The order will be booked in Wärtsilä’s order intake in Q3/2022. The company will also provide operational and maintenance services for ten years. Work will be carried out on a single engine at a time to maintain the operating ability of the plant. 

The ten-year service agreement will include remote operational support, maintenance planning, technical advisory and remote troubleshooting services, and spare parts. 

“Wärtsilä has a strong regional presence, which enables us to provide valuable technical support that optimises engine performance and maximises the production capabilities of this power plant, which has such a significant role in Cameroon’s power supply. We are also in a position to ensure the availability of critical spare parts, and this is an essential element within the long-term service agreement between our companies.” said Markus Ljungkvist, Wärtsilä's Energy Services vice president. 

Top Photo: Kribi Power Plant (wartsila.com)