JORDAN POWER Wärtsilä's first solar project in Jordan combines an existing 250 MW engine power plant and a 46 MW solar photovoltaic plant
Complete life cycle solutions company Wärtsilä is entering the solar energy business by offering utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions.
The new solutions include solar PV power plants of 10 MW and higher, and hybrid power plants comprising solar PV plants and internal combustion engines. Both solutions are offered with full engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) delivery.
Wärtsilä’s first solar project will be built in Jordan, in the Middle East, as a retrofit project. This project combines a solar PV farm with a 250 MW smart power generation plant comprising 16 Wärtsilä 50DF engines, delivered to power producer AES Jordan in 2014.
Wärtsilä's EPC scope includes 46 MW of solar modules, covering an area of 81 ha, as well as inverters, switchgear, control systems and overhead transmission lines. The project will be included in Wärtsilä's order book in the fourth quarter of this year.
“The solar unit will reduce the carbon footprint of the power plant by saving fuel during the daytime,” says AES Jordan president and CEO Meftaur Rahman.
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions president Javier Cavada says the company is excited about expanding its portfolio with sustainable innovations and helping its customers reduce their carbon emissions. “Large-scale solar is big business, with the installed base expected to grow fourfold to 450 GW by 2025. “Our competitive edge builds on three things: global EPC capability, a wide sales and service network, and an existing customer base in 176 countries.”
Wärtsilä expects rapid growth in its solar business, resulting in yearly sales of €300-million in 2020.