W?rtsil? will supply the engineering, equipment, and technical advisory for a 44MW power plant to be installed at the Mansourah & Massarah gold project mine in Saudi Arabia
It will be the first newbuild power project in the country to utilise a hybrid concept, with engine technology and solar energy.
The order with W?rtsil? was placed in March by Larsen & Toubro Ltd, India-based main contractors for the project. The power plant will comprise six W?rtsil? 32 engines, with five in operation and one on constant stand-by. The built-in flexibility of the W?rtsil? engine technology, which allows full power output to be reached within minutes of being started, will allow the plant to efficiently utilise renewable solar energy.
?The dedicated power plant will ensure that the mine can operate on a reliable and economical supply of electricity,? commented Amit Swarnkar, MENA business unit head, metallurgical and material handling division, Larsen & Turbo Ltd.
?Maximising the use of renewable energy is central to W?rtsil??s approach to enabling sustainable energy supplies. We enhance this energy transition by optimising energy systems for our customers, and have extensive experience in providing power for mining operations, so this project fits our capabilities perfectly,? said Alexandre Eykerman, energy business director for the Middle East, W?rtsil?.
The W?rtsil? equipment will be delivered within 10 months from the contract signing. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by May 2021, with commercial operations beginning a year later.
The Mansourah & Massarah project is Saudi Arabian Mining Company?s (Ma?aden) largest gold project, estimated to produce an average of 250,000 ounces of gold per year over the life of the mine. The project is commissioned and the mine will be operated by Ma?aden Gold and Base Metals Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ma?aden as part of the Saudi Government?s Vision 2030 initiative to diversify the national economy and promote the mining sector.
