Wärtsilä gas engines for Japan power plant

Wärtsilä announced it will supply the gas engine generators for a new 100 MW Japanese power plant. The fast-starting engines will provide the grid balancing and peaking capabilities needed as Japan increases its share of energy from renewable sources.

Wärtsilä is supplying 10 gas engine generator sets for a 100 MW plant being installed in Japan to deal with fluctuations in the renewable energy supply. (Photo: Wärtsilä)

The new plant will operate with 10 Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines. It will replace a 100 MW combined cycle gas turbine that was formerly located on the project site.

Wärtsilä said it’s one of the pioneering cases in Japan where a major power producer and supplier has opted for gas engine technology for a utility-scale power plant with the main purpose of hedging market price fluctuations. The plant will also enable participation in the recently launched cross-regional balancing market.

Japan is committed to addressing climate change through investing in sustainable electrical power generation. The country has set a target to have its share of renewable energy within the power mix increased to 36 to 38% by 2030. The new cross-regional balancing market in Japan was launched in 2021 by the governmental authority. The purpose of the balancing market is to bridge the gap between energy demand and supply during times when much variable renewable energy is being introduced into the system.

By being able to reach full output within minutes of start-up, the Wärtsilä engine technology can deliver the flexibility needed to compensate for fluctuations in the supply from wind and solar.

“The trend towards sustainable power production is very strong in Japan, and we are very pleased to support this trend with our flexible engine technology,” said Sushil Purohit, president, Wärtsilä Energy. “Wärtsilä is a leader in shaping the decarbonization of the energy industry by optimizing power systems, and this latest order represents one more important step along this journey.”