58 MW power plant powered by 5 Wärtsilä 31SG engines

A 58 MW power plant supplied and constructed in Argentina by Wärtsilä under a full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract has commenced commercial operations.

The Central Térmica Manantiales Behr plant was built for YPF Luz, a part of YPF S.A, one of Argentina’s leading oil and gas sector companies. The facility is located in a major oil field, and the power plant operates on gas from the oil production operations.

The original order was placed in 2018 and construction work was executed under the following two years, meeting with all oil and gas industry specific permit procedures, complex standards and compliance requirements. Safety protocols required by Covid-19 pandemic during the last 12 months have significantly slowed down construction work at the site. Overcoming these challenges has been a major accomplishment for Wärtsilä.

Argentinian power plant operating on Wärtsilä 31SG engines fuelled by associated gas begins commercial operations.

The Manantiales Behr basin location is also challenging since local wind speeds can reach 180 km/hour, and temperatures can range between -10 and 40 Co. Reliability of supply is, therefore, of prime importance, since the plant provides the energy required for the oil production. To ensure this reliability, the design features five Wärtsilä 31SG gas-fueled engines, making this the world’s largest power plant operating with Wärtsilä 31SG engines. The new plant has replaced an existing power plant with less efficient technology.

Wärtsilä has also been awarded a 10-year long-term service agreement, and will also provide operational advisory support for four years.

“Among the many challenges that had to be faced was the fact that the fuel for the engines is gas supplied at very low pressure from the oil fields. Fortunately, our technology is able to burn this special gas very efficiently utilizing a gas compression plant to increase the pressure, making it suitable for fuel injection,” said Jorge Alcaide, Energy Business Director, Region South, Americas, Wärtsilä Energy.

The customer also operates a wind farm at the same location, and the thermal plant complements and balances the energy generated by it as an integrated hybrid operation. The fast starting and stopping capabilities of the Wärtsilä 31SG engines provide the necessary flexibility to ensure a continuous reliable supply under all weather conditions, the company said.