Finnish marine and energy solutions provider Wartsila has signed a contract with independent oil and gas company Imetame Energia for the construction of the 28 MW UTE Prosperidade I gas-fired power plant in Brazil.
The power plant will be equipped with Wartsila's 34SG engines operating on the 'gas to wire' concept, which means that natural gas is converted to electric power close to the remote gas fields, and transmitted to urban areas via transmission lines, the company explained.
The project, worth Eur10 million, comes after Imetame Energia's discovery of a gas field in Bahia, Brazil in 2011, with gas producer now looking at “thermal generation as a way to monetise the gas and add value to the project through the sale of electricity,” Wartsila said.
“Wartsila's gas-fired engines are also well positioned for operating with high performance and low cost” it added.
UTE Prosperidade I is the first of three planned power plants in the rural area of Bahia.
The baseload power plant will supply energy to Brazil’s national grid and will help developing the power generation sector in Brazil, the company said.