New Orleans Chooses Wärtsilä Smart Power Generation Solution For New Power Plant

The technology group Wärtsilä’s Smart Power Generation solution has been selected to power the New Orleans Power Station, a 128 MW plant to be constructed at the retired Michoud power plant site in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The retired plant, which was the only power generating facility within the city’s borders, was shut down due to economic and operational considerations. The New Orleans City Council recently approved the new 128 MW plant, which will be powered by seven Wärtsilä 50SG reciprocating gas engines.

The order with Wärtsilä was placed by EPC project contractor, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. on behalf of the local utility Entergy New Orleans. Wärtsilä has booked the order and has received full notice to proceed. The plant is expected to be fully operational in January 2020.

The Wärtsilä Smart Power Generation plant was deemed to be the most appropriate solution for providing the efficiency, flexibility and reliable operation needed. It will enable Entergy New Orleans to utilize increasing levels of renewables within its system.

“Our technology represents the best fit and most competitively priced option for the long-term utilization of this facility. Wärtsilä’s Smart Power Generation solution offers the flexibility needed to go offline and restart quickly multiple times per day and has achieved a remarkable track record since its introduction, as it is a key enabler for integrating renewables into power systems,” commented Javier Cavada, President, Wärtsilä Energy Solutions.

The flexibility offered by Wärtsilä’s Smart Power Generation solution enables utilities to be better equipped to model the future and utilize increasing levels of solar and wind power. Wärtsilä’s vision is being endorsed with an increasing share of the < 500 MW market segment and this trend is particularly relevant in the USA, where Wärtsilä currently has an installed base of 3400 MW.

About Wärtsilä Energy Solutions
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions is a leading global energy system integrator offering a broad range of environmentally sound solutions. Our offering includes ultra-flexible internal combustion engine based power plants, utility-scale solar PV power plants, energy storage & integration solutions, as well as LNG terminals and distribution systems. The flexible and efficient Wärtsilä solutions provide customers with superior value and enable a transition to a more sustainable and modern energy system. At the end of 2017, Wärtsilä had 67 GW of installed power plant capacity in 177 countries around the world. For more information, visit https://www.smartpowergeneration.com/.

About Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2017, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.9 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. For more information, visit https://www.wartsila.com/.