Wärtsilä wins another contract for a Saudi cement plant

Umm Al-Qura Cement Company has ordered a turnkey power plant from Wärtsilä. The 47 MW captive power plant was ordered in May 2014 and will be located in the mountain desert close to Taif city. It is due to be delivered by February 2015 and will enter commercial operation by October 2015. The power plant will face extreme conditions, including temperatures up to 50 °C and an altitude above 1000 m.

The power plant consists of five 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 32TS engines, a new 2-stage turbocharged version of the Wärtsilä 32 series. This new engine is designed to operate at outstanding efficiency even in extreme ambient conditions. The new version delivers reduced fuel consumption while complying with the World Bank EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) guidelines for NOx emissions.

"This engine is tailor-made for hot conditions. That's why we call it the 'sauna' engine. It is a result of our commitment to the extensive and long term development work of engine technology," said Lars-Åke Kjell, Regional Director at Wärtsilä Power Plants. "The Umm Al-Qura contract strengthens our leading position in Saudi Arabia. Wärtsilä already supplies four out of five power installations in the cement industry in the country." With this project, Wärtsilä has more than 1600 MW of installed power plant capacity in Saudi Arabia.

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/18062014/umm_al-qura_cement_orders_captive_power_plant_372/