MAN gen-sets to add 50 MW to Namibian grid

MAN 18V51/60DF dual-fuel engine. (Illustration: MAN)

MAN Energy Solutions will supply three MAN 18V51/60DF dual-fuel engines with alternators and auxiliary equipment as part of an expansion of the ANIXAS power station in Walvis Bay, Namibia. For this purpose, a new power station will be built directly next to the existing facility, expanding the current generation capacity of 22.5 MW by an additional 50 MW. The power station will be operated by state-owned utility, Namibia Power Corp. (NamPower).

The project is a joint venture between FK Namibia – represented by FK Generators and Equipment (International) – and the two Namibian firms, PHIM and August Twenty Six Construction. It was reportedly commissioned via an open, international bidding process for constructing the power station under an EPC turnkey contract.

“This new power plant will enhance the Namibian power grid’s security of supply by introducing 50 MW of dispatchable generation capacity,” said Ghassan Saab, Head of Power, MEA Region at MAN Energy Solutions. “Furthermore, it will provide grid support to compensate for sudden losses of energy caused by the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources on the grid. By adding such dispatchable capacity, the plant will contribute to the unlocking and integration of a greater share of renewable energy.”

Once commissioned, the MAN 51/60DF engines will initially run on liquid fuel. As soon as an appropriate gas infrastructure becomes available regionally, the company said the dual-fuel engines can seamlessly switch to operation on low-emission natural gas, while maintaining the flexibility to operate on liquid fuels should the gas supply be interrupted.

“The dual-fuel capability of our 51/60DF engines offers operators full fuel-flexibility and reliability,” said Saab. “Depending on availability, the engines can easily switch between fuels without performance loss, ensuring maximum security of supply.”

Long African track record

MAN Energy Solutions said it is currently involved in many power-plant projects in Africa and has offices in Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria.

“MAN Energy Solutions can look back on a long history of success in Africa,” said Saab. “For more than half a century, we have actively carried out power-plant projects in more than 30 African countries and have achieved a power-generation capacity of more than 3.2 gigawatts. In addition to the power plant in Namibia, we are currently building plants in Senegal, Mali, Niger and Chad, proving the reliability of our power-plant solutions in providing domestic populations with stable energy supplies.”