Wärtsilä, a leading supplier of flexible power plants and services to the decentralised power generation market, has been awarded operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts by two manufacturing companies in the Philippines. The two contracts were signed during the first quarter of this year.
CEMEX Strategic Philippines Inc. is a subsidiary of CEMEX S.A.B. de CV, a leading global building materials company present in more than 50 countries throughout the world. They have contracted Wärtsilä to supply full O&M services for its APO Cement power plant, located in Naga City, Cebu. The contract is for four years. Included in the scope of services to be supplied are operating staff, maintenance of the engines and auxiliaries, and supply of spare parts.
The APO Cement power plant is an island-mode operation, supplying power to the cement facility. It is powered by six Wärtsilä 16VZAV40S heavy fuel oil driven engines, and produces 66MW of electricity. Wärtsilä Philippines took over operational responsibilities for the plant in March.
The other contract awarded to Wärtsilä covers operations and maintenance of the Masbate Gold project power plant, owned by the Philippine Gold Processing & Refining Corporation and located at Aroroy, Masbate, Philippines. Wärtsilä has been contracted to operate and maintain the plant, and to supply tools and consumables.
The Masbate power plant is powered by three Wärtsilä 18V32 and two Wärtsilä 16V32 engines that have previously been employed in other power plants. The units were fully installed and commissioned at the end of April 2009, and will be supplying the power requirements of the gold processing plant.
In commenting on these latest orders, Ville Packalén, president of Wärtsilä in the Philippines stated: “Our strong track record in supplying after sales service support, as well as the necessary technical support for O&M operations, was a significant factor in being awarded these contracts. This was especially important in the Masbate Gold project award, since the location is remote and, therefore, challenging. We have been able to demonstrate our capability for overcoming this challenge. In both cases, the decision to delegate responsibility for optimising the efficient operation of the plant to Wärtsilä, means that the customers can concentrate fully on their companies’ core businesses.”
Globally, Wärtsilä operates more than 139 installations in 35 countries, supplying a total of approximately 4000MW of power. Under an O&M agreement, Wärtsilä can take care of everything from the recruitment, training and management of the O&M staff, to energy production, logistics and other services. Wärtsilä O&M agreements are tailored to the needs of its customers to give real added value.