Page 14 - AfrElec Week 39 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

COAL manufacturing processes. Signing of the O&M satisfaction with our performance, and of how
agreement took place in July 2021, and is an it supports the achievement of their business
Chinese coal plant under extension of a previous 10-year agreement. goals,” commented Marc Thiriet, Energy
Business Director, Africa West, Wärtsilä
The captive Ewekoro plant was supplied
threat in Limpopo and commissioned by Wärtsilä in 2011. Energy.
It consists of six Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel
WÄRTSILÄ
The company conducted an environmental engines, operating primarily on gas, but
assessment of a planned Chinese-funded with the flexibility to automatically switch to
industrial park in Limpopo Province and liquid fuel in case of a disruption to the gas SOL AR
stated that the plan to build coal-fired power supply. Similarly, should the quality of the
plants “may not be an option” because of gas supply be disrupted, the Wärtsilä engines Husk Power Systems enters
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s new pledge to will continue to operate efficiently, delivering
stop funding overseas coal power. an assured and reliable power supply to the Nigeria, sets up 7 solar
The Musina-Makhado Special Economic facility. Unlike gas turbine plants, the engines
Zone is a proposed 8,300 hectare industrial will also function efficiently with a low- minigrids
park close to the Zimbabwe border. The pressure gas supply, thus providing a huge
project is directed by the Limpopo Economic advantage given the region’s vulnerability to Rural energy services company Husk
Development Agency (Leda). such interruptions. Power Systems announced it has concluded
The project should include a power station The captive power plant provides the agreements to develop and operate seven
to provide electricity to the areas that Leda cement production facilities steady supply minigrids with the Nigeria Electrification
hopes to become a centre of heavy industry, of electricity and an efficient use of available Project (NEP), which is funded by the World
including coking plants, steel plants and natural gas as primary fuel. By having Wärtsilä Bank and African Development Bank.
ferromanganese blast furnaces. operate and maintain the power plant, the The agreements were signed by the
customer can focus on its core business to Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and
deliver construction materials to Nigeria. the company’s Nigerian entity, Husk Power
“We have benefited significantly from Energy Systems Nigeria Ltd. They fall under
GAS-FIRED GENERATION the efficient way by which Wärtsilä has the Solar Hybrid Minigrid Performance-
operated and maintained this plant for the Based Grant (PBG) sub-component of NEP.
Wärtsilä signs O&M past ten years, and we had no hesitation in minigrids in India and Tanzania. Its solar
The company currently operates 130
extending the agreement for a further five
agreement with Lafarge years. An uninterrupted reliable supply of hybrid minigrid projects will provide
electricity is essential to our production, and
electricity to communities across Nasarawa
Africa having our own power plant, built, operated State, with around 5,000 connections that
and maintained by Wärtsilä, gives us this
will benefit households, small businesses,
The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a assurance,” said Lanre Opakunle, Strategic medium-scale agro-processing and public
5-year long-term Operation & Maintenance Sourcing Director, Power & Gas, Middle East institutions.
(O&M) agreement with Lafarge Africa Plc, & Africa, Lafarge – a member of Holcim
one of Nigeria’s leading building material Group.
producers. The agreement covers the 100 “Lafarge has been a customer with whom
MW Lafarge Ewekoro power plant, which we have built a strong relationship over a RENEWABLES
provides a dedicated supply of electricity number of years. Their readiness to renew
to the company’s concrete and cement this O&M agreement is a clear indication of South African mining
industry to spend up to

$2.7bn on renewables

Mining companies in South Africa are
pushing to develop self-reliant power
generation capacity due to the persistent
unreliability of the country’s national power
utility company, Eskom, by spending up to
$2.7 billion to develop 2 GW of renewable
energy to supplement its energy requirements.
Announced during a virtual panel
discussion on 23 September, the mining
industry’s plans to develop renewable energy
plants follow this year’s decision by the
Government of South Africa that permits the
construction of plants with a capacity of up to
100 MW without government licences.
“Eskom simply can’t provide that extra

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 39 30•September•2021