65 MW power plant for Borneo

MAN Energy Solutions will supply dual-fuel engines to a new power plant in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo.

The scope of supply includes three 18V51/60DF and one 8L51/60DF engines, which will provide a total of 65 MW of generation capacity for a local industrial plant.

Currently under construction in an industrial zone near the city of Kota Kinabalu in northern Borneo, the new power plant will provide electricity to a factory producing solar glass for end-customer, Kibing Solar. Solar glass is an important component in the production of photovoltaic modules and the factory will employ up to 1800 people upon completion.

Four MAN 51/60DF dual-fuel engines will help ensure reliable and flexible energy supply for solar-glass production plant on Borneo. (Image: MAN Energy Solutions)

“Our dual-fuel engines are ideally suited for the reliable and decentralized power supply of industrial plants in remote regions and on islands,” said Martin Chmiela, Regional Sales Head, Power Plants, Asia-Pacific at MAN Energy Solutions. “This power plant will be able to run on both low-emission natural gas and liquid fuels, offering the greatest possible security of supply.”

The four engines will mainly run on low-emission natural gas in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG consists largely of methane (CH4) and is compressed to less than 1% of the volume that natural gas occupies at normal atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, CNG is easily transported by ship and truck, and is particularly suitable for supplying remote areas that do not have their own natural gas or LNG infrastructure.