The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 5-year Operation and Maintenance (O&M) agreement with the Saudi Arabian cement producer Umm AlQura Cement Co. This will be the third agreement term for the customer’s captive power plant installation. The initial 3-year long-term agreement was signed in 2015, and thereafter renewed once. Following the continued efficient and reliable performance of the power plant, this latest contract was renewed for 5 years in November 2020.

The 47 MW plant is located in Taif City in Western Saudi Arabia. It operates with five Wärtsilä 32TS engines, a turbocharged version of the standard Wärtsilä 32 engine series, which features low fuel and lube oil consumption. Since the plant supplies the power needed to operate the cement production facility, reliability and availability are essential. This twice renewed O&M agreement provides clear evidence that these essentials are being met. Wärtsilä Expertise Centre in Dubai provides versatile and extensive support for the site team in ensuring uninterrupted power generation for the cement production facility. This support comprises 24/7 remote guidance and technical support with Augmented Reality video streaming, operations surveillance, performance deviation alerting, remote troubleshooting, data analysis and asset diagnostics with advanced tools.

“We are satisfied in the way that Wärtsilä has operated and maintained the power plant, which has allowed us to focus on producing cement with an uninterrupted supply of electricity. We have been pleased to recommend Wärtsilä also to other producers in the industry,” commented Fawaz Al Mutairi, Chief Executive Officer, Umm AlQura Cement Company.

“The turbocharged Wärtsilä 32 engine is optimised for reliable performance in extreme ambient conditions. It is designed to deliver outstanding efficiency with reduced fuel and water consumption in high altitudes and hot temperatures. This makes it ideal for locations such as this plant in Saudi Arabia and is a key factor in the plant’s continued efficient operation,” said Haidar Al Hertani, Managing Director, Wärtsilä Saudi Arabia.

Wärtsilä has been present in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years, with more than 2,000 MW of installed capacity in the country. Wärtsilä is helping the industrial sector to thrive by providing reliable and efficient energy solutions to meet the targets of Saudi Vision 2030, which is the country’s ambitious long-term development plan for essential business sectors. The Wärtsilä solution aligns with the plan’s programme related to the energy sector by improving the efficiency of production facilities. The programme is also having an extensive impact on the construction sector and is expected to help drive construction growth and higher demand of cement in the country.