Technology group Wärtsilä will upgrade the electrical and automation systems of the 216MW Kribi power plant in the Republic of Cameroon.
Globeleq subsidiary Kribi Power Development Company (KPDC) has been operating the plant since 2013.
The gas-fired plant has been operating with 13 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines, running mainly on natural gas.
The upgrade project is scheduled to begin in 2023 and will be carried out on one engine at a time.
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Wärtsilä has also signed a long-term service agreement to provide remote operational support, maintenance planning, technical advisory and spare parts.
Gionata Visconti, chief operating officer at Globeleq, said the Kribi power plant “has a vital role within the African energy sector. It is still today supplying two-thirds of the thermal energy in Cameroon.
“Cameroon’s energy system relies heavily on hydropower but has uncertain resources of water. The Kribi plant, therefore, plays a key role in ensuring a supply of safe, cheap, and reliable energy.
“For this reason, we are keen to upgrade the power plant’s automation systems to the latest design to ensure optimal reliability.”
The Kribi Power Project is run on natural gas supplied from the offshore Sanaga South gas field. It was the first commercial development of Cameroon’s gas reserves, compensating for the country’s declining oil supplies. The project is the second independent power project in the country.
