Wärtsilä has been awarded a full scope, long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) agreement for the Hera power plant in Dili, in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
The contract was signed during the second quarter of 2012. In a consortium with Puri Akraya Engineering, a company contracted by the Timor-Leste Government for the project, Wärtsilä will be responsible for operating the power plant, as well as for all service and maintenance activities deemed necessary to ensure its efficient and reliable availability.
The Hera plant supplies base load electricity to the national grid and has an output capacity of 120MW. It is powered by seven Wärtsilä 46 engines currently running on light fuel oil, but which may later be converted to natural gas operation. The Hera power plant is part of the Timor-Leste Government’s modernisation programme aimed at further increasing national electrification.
"In addition to the fact that Wärtsilä is the original equipment manufacturer, Wärtsilä’s extensive experience in operating and maintaining power plants that utilise the latest in efficient technology, was the determining factor in the company being awarded this O&M agreement," said Dany Subrata, director of Puri Akraya Engineering Ltd.
"Wärtsilä has many years of experience in this field and holds O&M contracts for power plants around the world," added Björn Lindell, president of Wärtsilä in Indonesia. "We are able to assure the customer of a reliable supply of electricity with a minimum of risk and cost. Our broad range of post-installation service agreements represents an integral part of the company’s total solution approach."
O&M agreements represent a comprehensive form of asset management. Typically, they can be tailored to cover the entire scope of operational, management and maintenance services, as well as providing performance guarantees. Globally, Wärtsilä has more than 16GW of generating capacity under O&M and other service agreements, covering more than 500 marine and land-based installations.