Africa is ready to provide enough energy to achieve the most ambitious of goals, and it can do it while maintaining all environmental targets.
We believe careful planning of power systems towards more sustainable and diversified energy supply portfolios can save billions and rapidly reduce CO2 emissions. We create value through our extensive power system knowledge and experience from integrating different generating assets.
On this page, you may find our best materials and proceedings in energising and decarbonising the continent of Africa.
of engine power plant capacity installed
African countries with active customers
Wärtsilä engines installed across the continent
customers across the continent
With more than 650 employees and service hubs located in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal, Wärtsilä is proud to have contributed to many industry firsts. These include Africa’s largest gas engine power plant on the Kribi coast of Cameroon with 216MW capacity, as well as Africa’s highest installation, the 175 MW power plant in Sasolburg, South Africa, sitting at 1,700 meters above sea level.
Another first, the KivuWatt power plant in Rwanda, is the first ever power plant to use the naturally occurring methane from lake Kivu to generate electricity and reduce the environmental risks associated with such high concentrations of gas. Today’s power output is 25 MW but future planned expansions to this project will increase capacity by an additional 75 MW.
Technology group Wärtsilä has launched Quantum3, an intelligent cutting-edge battery energy storage system (BESS) with new safety, cybersecurity, energy density, and sustainability design features. Quantum3 is the latest addition to Wärtsilä’s Quantum battery energy storage product portfolio supporting a global decarbonised future. Quantum3 addresses the evolving needs of grid-scale energy storage customers and the markets in which Wärtsilä systems are deployed.
“Time and again, our customers choose Wärtsilä as their BESS partner because of our delivery record and ability to build solutions that are adaptable to their sites and project requirements. Quantum3 is the evolution of that promise, which addresses our customers’ primary concerns of safety, efficiency, security, cost, and time,” says Andrew Tang, Vice President of Energy Storage & Optimisation at Wärtsilä Energy.
Quantum3 is a complete AC block solution, with fully integrated and internalised batteries and string-based power conversion systems (PCS). String inverters enable decentralised control to considerably enhance the availability, efficiency, and reliability of the system across its lifespan. Quantum3 also contains Wärtsilä’s proprietary Battery Management System (BMS), designed and engineered in the United States. Wärtsilä’s BMS offers efficient cell balancing, adaptable system management, and enhanced cybersecurity, informed by Wärtsilä’s deep understanding of battery performance and on-site system operations.
Housed in a 20-foot ISO container with single-side access, Quantum3 is strategically sized for global shipping and efficient on-site deployment and back-to-back configuration. It is designed to achieve an optimal balance between energy density and weight. Quantum3’s sustainable design, including low noise levels and a low global warming potential (GWP) cooling system, makes it a groundbreaking offering for meeting customers’ environmental and decarbonisation goals. Quantum3’s enhanced fire safety features also go beyond the requirements of current global regulations to ensure that customer facilities are both fire-proof and future-proof.
“These are features we have worked extremely hard on and are very proud of. We have a proven track record of safe and reliable delivery worldwide. Quantum3 will help to further strengthen confidence among customers, local communities, and first responders that Wärtsilä’s systems will stand the test of time,” Tang comments.
Additionally, Quantum3 is powered by the GEMS Digital Energy Platform, Wärtsilä’s sophisticated Energy Management System (EMS). GEMS, in combination with string inverters, provides comprehensive visibility and control from the battery to the fleet level, increasing the availability of energy storage facilities for the highest possible return on investment. With GEMS’s machine learning and optimisation power, Quantum3 can intelligently leverage energy supply during times of high energy cost to significantly reduce operating costs and meet ancillary service demands for customers. GEMS also streamlines the system’s controls from BMS to EMS, ensuring high data fidelity and increased data access to enhance performance and reduce downtime.
In summary, Quantum3’s features include:
Wärtsilä is committed to sourcing Quantum3 components from a geographically diverse set of suppliers, with manufacturing capacity across different regions of North America, Asia, and Europe. This allows Wärtsilä’s customers to take advantage of local tax incentives, alleviate tariffs, and meet the most stringent cybersecurity requirements.
Learn more:
Wärtsilä Energy Storage & Optimisation Technology
Media contact for more information on this release:
Katri Pehkonen
Communications Manager
Wärtsilä Energy
Mob: +358 50 591 6180
katri.pehkonen@wartsila.com
Image caption: Wärtsilä’s Quantum3, a fully integrated AC block energy storage system for high system availability and optimised rack-level control.
© Wärtsilä Corporation
All Wärtsilä releases are available at www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases and at news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation where also the images can be downloaded. Use of the image(s) is allowed only in connection with the contents of this press release. Wärtsilä images are available at www.wartsila.com/media/image-bank.
Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise. Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels. Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity, of which 18 GW are under service agreements, and over 125 energy storage systems, in 180 countries around the world.
www.wartsila.com/energy
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,800 professionals in more than 280 locations in 79 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2023, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.0 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com
South Africa
4 Powerful Street,
Paarden Eiland
7405,
Cape Town
Tel. +27 21 5111 230
Nigeria
Wärtsilä Marine and Power Services Nigeria
23 Oba Akinjobi Street
Ikeja GRA, Lagos
Nigeria
Tel. +234 907 808 0936 - Marine enquiry
+234 8057217049 - New Builds enquiry
+234 708 624 3992 - After Sales enquiry
E-mail: Sales/Services equiries WNG@Wartsila.com
Kenya
ABC Towers - 7A, ABC Place
Waiyaki Way
Nairobi
Tel. +254 20 7602 400 (Pilot)
E-mail: info.wea@wartsila.com
Senegal
Wärtsilä West Africa
Immeuble Le Thiargane 7ème étage, Mermoz Place OMVS
B.P. 21861 Dakar-Ponty, Dakar - Senegal
Tel + 221 33 865 41 00
Fax + 221 33 864 42 72
E-mail: West.africa@wartsila.com
Madagascar
Fort Dauphin (Taolagnaro)
QMM Madena, Fort Dauphin, 614
Madagascar
Tel. +261 20 224 3267
Fax: +261 20 224 3253
Cameroon
Wärtsilä Central Africa
Wärtsilä Base, Essengue
Douala, Cameroon
Tel +237 33 50 54 00
Fax +237 33 50 54 99
wcm@wartsila.com for general information
wcmsales@wartsila.com for commercial issues