Long-term Wartsila agreement will deliver guaranteed performance for Argentinian power plant

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year Optimised maintenance and an optional Operational advisory service agreement with one of Argentina’s major energy sector company. The agreement provides a guaranteed performance for a 57.6 MW power plant delivering electricity to its own operations in the south region of Argentina, with any excess power being sent to the national grid. Signing of the agreement took place in March and it will take effect when the plant commence operations. Wärtsilä will recognise the order intake following commissioning.

The scope of the agreement includes remote operational support and maintenance planning, provided by Wärtsilä’s Expertise Centre in Brazil, executing planned and unplanned maintenance, covering both spare parts and labour, and an optional permanent on-site advisor. This broad scope is in line with Wärtsilä’s customer support approach. With Wärtsilä Lifecycle solutions, the company maintains and optimises the plant performance of its customers. This support encompasses technology, software and service expertise as well as a holistic view and understanding of installations on a system level through a long-term service agreement. Each solution is always customized to meet the customer’s needs and operating profile.

The power plant will operate on five Wärtsilä 31SG gas engines, the most efficient gas engine in its class. The power plant is expected to become fully operational later this year and it will be the largest in the world utilising the Wärtsilä 31SG engine. By its ability to reach full output within minutes of start-up, the Wärtsilä 31SG is able to effectively balance the renewable energy input from an adjacent wind farm. This creates an energy system that is essentially a hybrid arrangement.

“Maximising the availability of the plant and reliable operations is essential for the customer. Wärtsilä’s vast experience in carrying out timely maintenance and expertise to advice on the operations to ensure guaranteed performance was a prime consideration in the award of this contract. Our remote engine monitoring capabilities are world-class, and the high efficiency of the Wärtsilä 31SG engines will deliver the reliability and performance expected,” said Jorge Alcaide, Energy Business Director, Americas, Region South at Wärtsilä. 

The site is located in an area where the ambient conditions can be challenging, with wind speeds of up to 180 kilometres an hour, and temperatures ranging from - 15 to + 40 degrees centigrade. The Wärtsilä 31SG is designed to operate efficiently, even in these conditions.