Kribi power plant in Cameroon set for automation upgrade

Kribi power plant in Cameroon is set for an automation upgrade. Gionata Visconti, Chief Operating Officer, Globeleq made the announcement and said Wärtsilä will carry out the upgrading works of the electrical and automation systems of the plant.

The 216MW natural gas-fired thermal power plant has been in operation for nearly ten years, operating with 13 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on natural gas. At the time of commissioning, it was the largest gas engine power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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“The Kribi power plant has a vital role within the African energy sector. It is still today supplying two-thirds of the thermal energy in Cameroon. Cameroon’s energy system relies heavily on hydropower but has uncertain resources of water. The Kribi plant, therefore, plays a key role in ensuring a supply of safe, cheap and reliable energy. For this reason, we are keen to upgrade the power plant’s automation systems to the latest design to ensure optimal reliability,” commented Gionata Visconti, Chief Operating Officer, Globeleq.

The order with Wärtsilä was placed by Kribi power development company (KPDC), a subsidiary of independent power producer Globeleq. The order will be booked in Wärtsilä’s order intake in Q3/2022. Wärtsilä will also support the customer’s operational and maintenance performance with a 10-year long-term service agreement.

The project is scheduled to commence in 2023. To ensure the continuity of the plant’s output, the work will be carried out on one engine at a time. The long-term service agreement includes remote operational support, maintenance planning, technical advisory and remote troubleshooting services, as well as spare parts.