Wärtsilä To Deliver 292 MW To Myanmar

Wärtsilä announced it will deliver, on a fast-track basis, the equipment for two power plants being installed in Myanmar. During the summer of 2019, the Yangon area of the country was subjected to power cuts of up to six hours a day. In order to avoid this situation being repeated, the Myanmar government has ordered additional generating capacity to be installed and operational within a matter of months.

Each plant will feature eight Wärtsilä 50SG pure gas engines delivering a combined output of 146 MW. They will contribute more than 5% of Myanmar’s grid capacity, Wärtsilä said. The order was placed late last year, with the equipment to be delivered before the end of February.

The projects will be owned by a consortium between China National Technical Import and Export Corp. (CNTIC) and VPower Group, Myanmar’s largest gas-fired engine power plant owner and operator. The two plants will operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel and Wärtsilä’s experience and track record in high efficiency LNG-fueled engine technology was an important consideration in the award of the contract, as was its ability to meet the very demanding delivery schedule.

“Endeavoring to deliver the much-needed electricity to millions of households in Myanmar, we set stringent requirements on product efficiency, reliability and safety, and also the suppliers’ capability of timely delivery,” said Earnest Cheung, chief commercial officer of VPower Group. “Wärtsilä has proven in previous projects that it can be relied on to deliver on a fast-track schedule, and the high efficiency of its gas engine solutions is what is needed here. We appreciate the support and cooperation they are giving to ensure the success of these top priority projects.”

“The consortium has taken a remarkable move to support Myanmar’s electrification on demanding schedule, and we are pleased to play our part in delivering on-time,” said Kari Punnonen, Energy Business director, North and South East Asia, Wärtsilä Energy Business. “These are flexible power plants that can operate base load at high efficiency but can also provide balancing power which is going to be necessary to introduce intermittent renewable energy sources in the Myanmar grid in the future.”

Wärtsilä’s recent project in Myanmar have contributed to Myanmar achieving a 50% electrification rate, according to the Ministry of Energy and Electricity of Myanmar.