Sian Crampsie
Power technology company Wärtsilä reports that it has started work at the site of a new 378 MW power plant in El Salvador.
Wärtsilä is building the power plant on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis for Energia de Pacifico and says that the facility will be the largest and most efficient power plant in El Salvador, and one of the first in Central America to be fired by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The power plant will operate on nineteen Wärtsilä 50SG engines and a steam turbine in combined cycle, reaching a net plant efficiency of close to 50 per cent. Wärtsilä’s DryFlexicycle technology, which consumes zero cooling water, will be employed to further enhance sustainability of the project.
Wärtsilä will also provide operation and maintenance services.
A new dedicated floating LNG import terminal will be built at the site of the power plant and will form “an important addition to El Salvador’s energy infrastructure”, Wärtsilä said. Today, close to 50 per cent of the 1600 MW generation capacity in El Salvador is based on oil fuel.
“This project marks an important milestone in the development of the country’s energy mix by utilising clean natural gas, and through the highly reliable, efficient, and flexible power offered by Wärtsilä’s multi-unit Flexicycle solution,” said Alejandro Alle, Managing Director of Energía del Pacífico.
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