Wartsila to set up renewable energy scheme in Mali

Wärtsilä to set up renewable energy scheme in Mali

By Nsikan Ikpe

The Finland-originating technology group, Wartsila, which has for years now been gradually expanding to cover much of West Africa, is billed to set up a renewable energy scheme in Mali.

The project, which is a first order of its Wärtsilä Modular Block solution for power generation is being undertaken in concert with Aggreko, a global provider of mobile, modular power, temperature control and energy services.

Under the scheme, four Wärtsilä Modular Block enclosures with one medium-speed Wärtsilä 32 engine in each, will be installed to provide 40 MW of energy to Resolute Mining’s Syama off-grid gold mine in Mali. The Modular Block order had been placed by Aggreko in November 2019 and the contract is the first to be signed under the cooperation agreement between Wärtsilä and Aggreko, that came into effect in June.

According to those in the know, when fully operational, the Wärtsilä Modular Block solution will replace the existing diesel generators currently powering the mine. Among other contemplated benefits, the potential high efficiency performance capacity of the engines would very likely create substantial monthly savings in fuel costs.

Other components such as the fast-starting and load following capabilities of the new machines will also facilitate the integration of renewables into the mine’s energy system. Overall also, the new, more reliable, flexible and affordable solution is expected to equally come with substantial gains in relation to the mine’s environmental impact.

Operationally, three Wärtsilä Modular Blocks, providing a total of 30 MW of power will be installed next to the existing power station in 2020 with the fourth 10 MW Modular Block expected to be installed in 2022. There is also a clause to possibly add a fifth 10 MW unit to the power plant.

“The Wärtsilä Modular Block supports our technology investment strategy and when included as part of a hybrid solution, has enabled us to offer Resolute an extremely cost-effective solution for 16 years”, addresses Stephane Le Corre, Strategy and Development Director at Aggreko.”

“The Wärtsilä Modular Block solution opens up exciting new opportunities, both for permanent and rental electricity generation. We are delighted to be partnering with Aggreko in this rapidly growing market, and this first order is encouraging for the future success of our cooperation,” says Jean Nabb, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Wärtsilä Energy Business.

The Wärtsilä Modular Block is a pre-fabricated, modularly configurated, and expandable enclosure for sustainable power generation. Wärtsilä has 70 GW of installed power plant capacity in 177 countries around the world. Some of its operations take place in diverse African countries that include South Africa and Nigeria.