In the last quarter of 2019, the Myanmar government placed an order with the Wärtsilä Energy Group to deliver the equipment for two new power plants before the end of February 2020. Each plant will feature eight Wärtsilä 50SG pure gas engines with a combined output of 146 MW. They will be fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will contribute more than 5% of Myanmar’s grid capacity.
The contract was awarded to Wärtsilä in recognition of its track record in high-efficiency LNG-fuelled engine technology and the company’s ability to meet the demanding delivery schedule. The projects will be owned by a consortium between China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC) and VPower Group, Myanmar’s largest gas-fired engine power plant owner and operator.
“Wärtsilä has proven in previous projects that it can be relied on to deliver on a fast-track schedule, and the high efficiency of its gas engine solutions is what is needed here. We appreciate the support and cooperation they are giving to ensure the success of these top priority projects,” stated Earnest Cheung, chief commercial officer of VPower Group.
Wärtsilä’s Kari Punnonen, energy business director, North and South East Asia, said: “These are flexible power plants that can operate base load at high efficiency but can also provide balancing power, which is going to be necessary to introduce intermittent renewable energy sources in the Myanmar grid in the future.”
