Wärtsilä is supplying a 48 MW peaking power plant to support the growing use of renewables in the United Kingdom. The plant is under construction and is being delivered under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Centrica Distributed Generation Ltd.
When completed, the plant will provide essential grid balancing power generation alongside an existing 49 MW peaking plant in Brigg, Lincolnshire. This will create nearly 100 MW of fast response assets capable of meeting demand when renewable generation is insufficient. The new plant will employ four Wärtsilä 31SG gas engines. These fast-starting machines can reach full output within as little as 2.5 minutes with no minimum up or down time, thus making them ideal for compensating the intermittent supply from wind and solar power.
Chris O’Shea, group chief executive of Centrica, said: “While the UK has made amazing progress towards a renewable energy future, gas plays an essential role in ensuring homes and businesses have access to a reliable electricity supply when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. So, we’re delighted to be expanding the Brigg energy park to help balance the increasing renewables on the grid.”
The new plant is expected to be fully operational in early 2025.
“The Wärtsilä 31 engine platform is renowned for its high efficiency, and the engines are already able to run on a hydrogen blend. In the future our engines can be converted to run on sustainable fuels once they become widely available,” commented Kenneth Engblom, Vice President Africa & Europe at Wärtsilä Energy.
