Wärtsilä has renewed its operation & maintenance agreement with Tasiast Mauritanie Limited SA, a subsidiary of the Canadian group Kinross Gold Corporation, for another three years. The agreement aims to ensure that the gold mine’s recip based 60 MW power plant continues to operate reliably and safely to support the facility’s production schedules.
Wärtsilä has been operating and maintaining the power plant since it was built in 2013. In connection with the power plant extension in 2022, an outcome-based element was introduced into the O&M agreement focusing on delivering measurable results aligned with the mine’s commercial and operational targets in a sustainable way. The entire O&M agreement and the outcome-based element promote a shared responsibility between Wärtsilä and the customer in achieving these targets.
The mine is located about 300 km north of Mauritania’s capital, Nouakchott. The mine relies on electricity from an isolated hybrid grid comprising PV and batteries, with the Wärtsilä power plant providing both baseload power and spinning reserve to secure consistent energy for the hybrid grid.
“Our operation & maintenance agreements cover every aspect of the power plant’s day-to-day operation and all related maintenance and administration tasks. By tailoring the agreement to the customer’s specific requirements, we can deliver performance and lifecycle cost guarantees to add considerable value to the business,” comments Patrick Borstner, Director, Operations Africa at Wärtsilä Energy.
Wärtsilä supplied the equipment for the power plant in 2013, and extended the plant under an engineering, procurement and construction contract in 2021. A new project to install two additional Wärtsilä engines is currently in progress.
