Wärtsilä to Supply Flexicycle Power Plant in Mexico

Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to supply a Flexicycle power plant, consisting of seven 50SG gas engines and a combined cycle, to produce 139 MW of power for Energia del Caribe, S.A. in Mexico. The full turnkey contract was signed September 2014 and the plant is scheduled to be operational in 2016.

The power plant will be located near Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It will be fuelled by natural gas originating from the United States and the electricity will be transmitted through Mexico to consumption in Guatemala. The fact that natural gas provides cheaper and cleaner energy than other fossil fuels was a key factor that triggered the cross-border project between the three countries and led to awarding Energia del Caribe, S.A. the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in Guatemala. Presently, natural gas is not available for power generation in Guatemala.

“Wärtsilä’s capability to produce efficient, flexible and reliable energy as well as to ensure firm capacity without interruptions was essential for us to meet the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) obligations in Guatemala,” states Juan Buitron, Energia del Caribe’s General Manager. The reliability of the Flexicycle solution is based on the modular design of seven independent generating units that offer a high level of redundancy, where any unit can compensate each other to avoid interruptions. In addition, the Flexicycle technology provides maximum efficiency in demanding ambient conditions, including extreme heat.

“Wärtsilä’s full EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) supply capability was needed for this project to ensure a seamless process towards tight deadlines and challenging requirements. Our state of the art Smart Power Generation solution provides great benefits for our customers in Mexico as in elsewhere in the world,” says Raul Carral, Wärtsilä’s Business Development Manager.

The project will double Wärtsilä’s capacity in Mexico to 280 MW. Total Wärtsilä’s capacity in North America, Central America and the Caribbean is over 7000 MW.