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 will supply the engines and auxiliary equipment for a power plant being installed at the Boto gold mine in Senegal. The order, which was booked by Wärtsilä in Q1 2024, has been placed by Africa Power Services (APS), the France based main contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of the power plant. The mine has been recently acquired by Managem, an international mining group with operations in eight countries across Africa.
“The mine is remotely located and has no connection to the grid. This power plant is therefore crucial for its operations, and we needed to find a partner capable of providing reliable supply of electricity. Wärtsilä's track record is outstanding and they were offering the best equipment and best delivery times for this fast-track project," said Romain Darracq, Head of Sales Support at APS.
The 17 MW power plant will operate with six Wärtsilä 32 engines to be delivered on an engineered equipment (EEQ) basis.
“The configuration provides good flexibility and optimal performance of the power plant under varied load demands. Wärtsilä has a strong presence in Africa with its regional setup in Dakar effectively supporting the customers’ operations throughout the lifecycle of their power plants,” commented Sameer Poredi, Business Development Manager, Lifecycle at Wärtsilä Energy.
The Wärtsilä 32 engine generating set has established a reputation for reliability during 30 years of successful operations, delivering more than 8,000 MW of energy to customers around the world. Its fast-starting flexibility supports the integration of intermittent supplies of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, into power systems by enabling efficient grid balancing.
The equipment deliveries are targeted to be completed by December 2024, and the plant is expected to be commissioned during Q1, 2025.
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: From left to the right: Hakan Yildiz, Omar Naimi, Remi Gitsch, Pierre-Francois Simon, Cedric Fernandez, Sameer Poredi and Kaj Nordman. © APS
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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
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
Africa Power Services in brief
Africa Power Services believes that energy is essential to the success of every project. This is why we take on your energy challenges by developing more efficient and responsible solutions. Our experienced teams will help you during the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of your power plants, rental, training, and much more. Africa Power Services has installed more than 500MW in Africa, including 266MW of hybrid power plants with photovoltaic and BESS.
www.africapowerservices.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