Wärtsilä has won a €75 million contract to supply a 101 MW ‘Smart Power’ generation plant to Pampa Energía SA in Argentina. It will be delivered as a turnkey solution, including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). The delivery includes Wärtsilä 50DF multi-fuel engines running on natural gas, and when necessary, heavy-fuel oil (HFO) as a back-up fuel. The plant will be delivered during 2017 and is scheduled to be fully operational in December 2017, making this a ‘fast-track’ delivery.
CAMMESA, the national grid system operator,
The plant will be located in Central Piedra Buena, adjacent to the Ing White port close to Bahia Blanca city in Buenos Aires Province. This location is important for two reasons. Firstly, it is a key site within the high voltage grid in Argentina. Secondly, the area offers secure access to the HFO back-up fuel. Multi-fuel technology is very important in Argentina today as gas shortages occur on a regular basis. HFO is also available more cheaply than light-fuel oil.
This is the sixth project awarded to Wärtsilä in Argentina during 2016, and is the second project with Pampa Energía this year. The first was a 100 MW power plant to be built with Albares Renovables, a subsidiary of Pampa Energía S.A. These projects have a significant impact on employment and industrial development in Argentina. Several hundred jobs are created and technology know-how is transferred to the power generation sector.
