(Credit: Wärtsilä)The technology group Wärtsilä will upgrade the performance of a captive power plant supplying electricity to a Nevada Gold Mines mining operation in the USA. The upgrade is estimated to increase the facility’s power output on each generating set by 8%, support operational reliability, and ensure its availability during peak periods. Furthermore, it will avoid de-rating in almost all situations caused by the severe ambient conditions at the plant’s high-altitude location in the hot Nevada desert.
The upgrade includes the installation of Wärtsilä’s UNIC engine control system, a durable, all-inclusive automation system designed to provide reliable performance in demanding environments. This, together with the added power output, will minimize the risk of outages during the three-month long peak summer season. The upgrade will also increase efficiency and allow less constant operation of the engines, which in turn will lower emissions of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
The plant operates with 14 Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines. It was originally installed in 2005 with a net output of 115.6 MW. Upon completion of the upgrade, the facility output will be increased to 128 MW. The upgrade will commence in January 2023 and will be carried out in phases to coincide with the plant’s major overhaul schedule. In this way, power production can be maintained to minimize the impact to the mine’s operations.
Last month, Wärtsilä released a report showing that renewable energy-based power systems backed by energy storage can help Southeast Asian countries reach net zero by 2050. Wärtsilä’s modeling simulated the deployment of the energy technologies that cost the least to meet demand based on varying levels of emissions reductions. Those levels included a 50% reduction, an 80% reduction, and net-zero emissions. It also compared those results with scenarios that did not restrict emissions.
The company also recently released a report that suggests accelerated adoption of renewables can reduce electricity production costs by up to 50%.
