Wärtsilä’s Gas Engines Reflect India’s Shift Towards Cleaner Power Generation

A 15.5 MW gas-fueled captive power plant will be provided by the technology company Wärtsilä gas under an idea, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract and a five-year operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement for Chennai. Tamilnadu Petroproducts Limited (TPL), a renowned producer of heavy chemicals and linear alkyl benzene (LAB), and a subsidiary of AM International, Singapore, placed the order.

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The purchase of these two Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines comes as a result of TPL's intention to switch from heavy fuel oil (HFO) operation to cleaner and more effective natural gas-based alternatives for power generation. The startup of an LNG terminal in Ennore, India, which permits gas to be routed to the site, has made this project possible.

In addition to the expansion of renewable energy capacity, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has announced a national hydrogen project to produce five million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. The Green Hydrogen Policy, which the Indian government has previously put forth, aims to incorporate hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline once a sufficient supply is made available.

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The Wärtsilä gas engines are future-proofed to operate on a fuel mix of natural gas and hydrogen with minimal modifications to the power plant. Furthermore, the engines are supported by an online gas analyser and advanced operating system to ensure optimal performance of the engine despite some variations in the quality of the incoming LNG fuel.

With just minor changes to the power plant, the Wärtsilä gas engines are future-proofed to run on a fuel mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. In addition, the engines are backed by an innovative operating system and online gas analyzer to guarantee optimum engine performance despite minor fluctuations in the quality of the incoming LNG fuel.

In the spring of 2023, the plant is anticipated to be operational. Since the 1980s, Wärtsilä has served the Indian marine and energy markets with entire lifecycle power solutions. The business employs about 550 people and the energy industry of the nation has installed generating capacity of more than 3,500 MW.