By Oke Peter Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engines and auxiliary equipment for a power plant being installed at the Boto gold mine in Senegal. The order, which was booked by Wärtsilä in Q1 2024, has been placed by Africa Power Services (APS), the France based main contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of the power plant. The mine has been recently acquired by Managem, an international mining group with operations in eight countries across Africa.

“The mine is remotely located and has no connection to the grid. This power plant is therefore crucial for its operations, and we needed to find a partner capable of providing reliable supply of electricity. Wärtsilä's track record is outstanding and they were offering the best equipment and best delivery times for this fast-track project," said Romain Darracq, Head of Sales Support at APS.

Boto Gold From left to the right: Hakan Yildiz, Omar Naimi, Remi Gitsch, Pierre-Francois Simon, Cedric Fernandez, Sameer Poredi and Kaj Nordman. © APS

The 17 MW power plant will operate with six Wärtsilä 32 engines to be delivered on an engineered equipment (EEQ) basis.

“The configuration provides good flexibility and optimal performance of the power plant under varied load demands. Wärtsilä has a strong presence in Africa with its regional setup in Dakar effectively supporting the customers’ operations throughout the lifecycle of their power plants,” commented Sameer Poredi, Business Development Manager, Lifecycle at Wärtsilä Energy.

The Wärtsilä 32 engine generating set has established a reputation for reliability during 30 years of successful operations, delivering more than 8,000 MW of energy to customers around the world. Its fast-starting flexibility supports the integration of intermittent supplies of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, into power systems by enabling efficient grid balancing.

The equipment deliveries are targeted to be completed by December 2024, and the plant is expected to be commissioned during Q1, 2025.