Wärtsilä will supply a 100 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant to Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG in Germany. The Smart Power Generation power plant, consisting of ten Wärtsilä 34SG engines running on natural gas, is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2018. Wärtsilä’s scope covers the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), as well as a 15-year service agreement with performance guarantees. The order is included in the order book for the fourth quarter, 2016.
“Unlike traditional CHP power plants based on coal fired units or gas turbines, the Wärtsilä gas engines can be started and stopped without limitations within just 2 minutes. This allows us to operate in the balancing markets, since we can adjust the power output quickly to respond to the fluctuations in power demand as signalled by the electricity price,” says Dr. Lars Eigenmann, CEO at Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG.
Dr. Eigenmann further explains that the unique operational flexibility represented by the Wärtsilä engines offers Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden a completely new way of operating their power generation units profitably. “With flexible capacity like this, we have the chance to operate successfully at those times of the day in Germany when there is no solar or wind power available. We can start and stop several times a day, and sell the power to the European wholesale markets.”
As part of the German climate action plan, the country has committed to increasing the share of electricity produced by CHP power plants to 25% of the total electricity production by 2025. To meet this target, the renewed CHP Act favours flexible and environmentally-friendly CHP power plants that can operate in the balancing markets, while at the same time generating heat for the community.
This new highly efficient CHP power plant, Wärtsilä’s first of this size in Germany, will provide 100 MW electrical power, and up to 96 MW of heating power to the citizens of Mainz in the heart of Europe, where the local district heating network delivers heat to about 40,000 households. The new plant can reach a total efficiency of 90 percent. It utilises fuel in the most efficient way which in turn helps to reduce emissions.
Upon completion of the power plant, the Mainz-Wiesbaden area will be undergoing a transition from a traditional power and heat generation system to a modern, agile, low-carbon system utilizing green energy assets to the full.
“This project supports Germany’s development towards a low carbon economy. With our dynamic district heating solution, Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden can improve the total efficiency of its portfolio by approximately 5-10 percent,” says Christer Strandvall, Regional Director at Wärtsilä Energy Solutions.
“Wärtsilä has a strong service network in Germany and we are looking forward to supporting this long-term partnership with our competent and experienced professionals,” explains Thomas Becker, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Deutschland GmbH.
Wärtsilä’s installed capacity of CHP plants totals approximately 11 GW. The company’s total installed power generation capacity is over 60GW in 176 countries.
Link to images
Links:
Wärtsilä’s technical guide for a flexible CHP plant
IEA’s combustion engine opinion in enabling green energy
Wärtsilä’s guaranteed asset performance solution
Frank Kettig
Business Development Manager
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: +49 1704124474
frank.kettig@wartsila.com
Jukka-Pekka Niemi
General Manager, Marketing
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Tel: +358 50 465 2805
jukka-pekka.niemi@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions in brief
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions is a leading global supplier of ultra-flexible power plants of up to 600 MW operating on various gaseous and liquid fuels. Our portfolio includes unique solutions for baseload, peaking, reserve and load-following power generation, as well as for balancing intermittent renewable energy. Wärtsilä Energy Solutions also provides utility-scale solar PV power plants, as well as LNG terminals and distribution systems. As of 2016, Wärtsilä has 60 GW of installed power plant capacity in 176 countries around the world.
www.smartpowergeneration.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2015, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5 billion with approximately 18,800 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com
Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG
The employees of Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG have ensured that there is a reliable supply of electricity, steam and district heating in the Mainz-Wiesbaden metropolitan area since 1931. KMW can boast many years of experience in the operation of large power plants.
Since 2001, the company, which is half-owned by Mainzer Stadtwerke AG and half by ESWE Versorgungs AG, has had one of the most efficient CCGT power plants in the world. The capacity of this plant is approximately 400 MW. The excellent electrical efficiency of close to 60 percent can be increased to well over 70 percent fuel efficiency through environmentally-friendly combined heat and power generation. Also on the Ingelheimer Aue is the 350 MW gas combi block. In order to exploit the synergies of the site, the neighbouring waste incineration plant belonging to Entsorgungsgesellschaft Mainz mbH (EGM) was connected to the CCGT after its completion to ensure maximum energy and economic efficiency. In addition to conventional power generation, KMW AG has developed other key business areas in recent years, including renewable energy, energy management, power plant services and district heat generation.
www.kmw-ag.de
