Wärtsilä, a leading global supplier of flexible and efficient power plant solutions and services, has signed a major contract with Shanghai Electric Power for the conversion of the Maltese Delimara Power Station to operate on natural gas. The contract, signed in December 2014, is the first between Wärtsilä and Shanghai Electric Power.

The Delimara Power Station in Malta was commissioned in late 2012 and has a capacity of 140 MW. Once the engines of the power plant are converted to the latest Wärtsilä factory specification, its efficiency and output are expected to increase. The project will begin in January 2016, and the estimated completion time is in October 2016.

“We are very happy to be working with Wärtsilä on this conversion project. The project in Malta is Shanghai Electric Power’s first step in Europe, and we look forward to a fruitful co-operation with Wärtsilä also in the future,” Tan Qing, Project Manager, SEP Malta says.

The Delimara Power Station is currently using heavy fuel oil and running on eight Wärtsilä 46 engines. The project includes the conversion of four of the current engines into Wärtsilä 50SG and four into Wärtsilä 50DF engines. As the power plant begins to operate on natural gas, the emissions produced by the plant will be reduced, ensuring compliance with the emission regulations set by the EU. Operating costs of the plant will be reduced due to the decrease of abatement system operating costs. Due to the conversion, Shanghai Electric Power will also be able to reduce its fuel costs, resulting in better cost-efficiency at Delimara.

“This contract marks the beginning of co-operation between Wärtsilä and Shanghai Electric Power. We are proud to be involved in the conversion of the Delimara Power Station; not only will the project boost the power plant’s output and enable more cost-efficient operation, but it will also benefit the environment through lowered emissions,”Niclas Nyström, Manager, Business Development, Projects, from Wärtsilä Services says.

Conversion projects form an important part of Wärtsilä Services’ strategy, as they help customers to increase plant efficiency, reduce emissions and optimize their plants to the latest available technology.

By Anh Tuan