Senegal’s Bel Air power plant to be converted to LNG run facility

The 90-MW Bel-Air heavy fuel oil power plant in Senegal is set to be converted from heavy fuel oil to liquefied natural gas (LNG) run facility.

Senelec (Société nationale d’électricité du Sénégal), the national electricity company of Senegal made the announcement and said the move is part of an interim LNG-to-Power ‘bridge’ solution and is the first-ever power plant gas conversion in the West African country. It aims to improve its environmental profile and to lower ITS operating costs.

Located in the country’s capital Dakar, the Bel Air power plant was built in 2005. Wartsila, a Finnish Company that manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets won the EPC contract to convert the power plant to LNG.

Read:Kenya puts Tullow on notice over Turkana oil fields

Project details

The Company has been tasked to manage all phases of the project, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2021. The project will see Bel-Air plant’s six Wartsila 46 engines converted to six Wartsila 50DF dual-fuel engines.

Besides the engine conversion, the project will cover all other aspects to ensure successful operations of the facility on gas. Safety and operational reliability will be taken into account. This include control functions, mechanical auxiliary systems, as well as electrical and automation systems will be changed or upgraded as required.

Wärtsilä is also renegotiating with the Senegalese authorities for a new operating contract in view of the conversion. They have been operating and maintaining the current six Wärtsilä 46 engines of the plant under a 15-year agreement signed with Senelec back in 2006.