In a follow-up project, the long-established Mannheim-based company MWM recently received an order for another gas genset. The customer is Helsinki Water, an enterprise of Finland’s capital Helsinki that looks back on 135 years of experience and expertise in wastewater management.
The supplied engine of the TCG 2020 series with 12 cylinders delivers an electrical output of approximately 1,000 kW, with an efficiency of 41.3%.
“Especially the low operating costs and long maintenance intervals were key factors that compelled us to invest in another MWM engine,” says manager Kari Reinikainen, explaining the reasons for the decision. The engine is to be commissioned in August of this year.
The central wastewater treatment plant Viikinmäki for the city Helsinki and adjacent communities was commissioned back in 1994 with four engines from MWM, three gas engines and one gas/diesel engine. The plant processes the wastewater of about 780,000 inhabitants (accounts for 85% of the volume) and of industrial plants (15%), which adds up to 3.53 billion cubic feet a year.
The fermentation in the purification process generates about 353 million cubic feet of sewage gas a year, which is used for the generation of electrical and thermal energy, covering 100% of the plant’s need for heat and about 50% of the power needs. So far, the MWM gensets have been producing 16GWh of eco-friendly electricity and about 26GWh of eco-friendly heat a year.
The on-site implementation of the project was taken care of by the Finnish company Sarlin, with which MWM has already been working successfully for quite some time. This partner is also responsible for the handling of the ongoing maintenance agreements. In 2008, the two companies jointly won all tenders in Finland. No wonder that Kari Reinikainen, the manager of the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant, will most likely opt for MWM engines when the time comes to purchase another three gas engines, which is currently under consideration.