Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a ten-year Guaranteed Asset Performance  agreement with US utility Omaha Public Power District . The agreement covers the 150 MW Standing Bear Lake Station located in Omaha, Nebraska and is set to commence commercial service in 2024. Upon activation, the plant will provide dispatchable balancing power as part of the utility’s Power with Purpose project, an initiative designed to add 400 to 600 MW of utility-scale solar generation and 600 MW of balancing natural gas generation. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3, 2023.

The aim of the utility is to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. By ensuring operational reliability for the plant, the agreement supports these efforts with fast-starting balancing power to rapidly compensate for fluctuations in the supply of renewables. The supply to the grid is therefore assured regardless of the conditions.

The plant operates with nine Wärtsilä 18V50DF dual-fuel engines which can use natural gas and light fuel oil as needed. The engines can be converted to carbon neutral fuels as they become available to further enhance decarbonisation.

“Wärtsilä shares the same energy-sector decarbonisation goals as OPPD, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with them. The performance guarantees included in our GAP agreements deliver the reliability of supply needed for the system integration of renewable energy. Furthermore, they represent a central pillar in our Lifecycle Support approach to optimising operational performance,” commented Jon Rodriguez, Energy Business Director, Engine Power Plants at Wärtsilä.

During the agreement, Wärtsilä will provide site services and also support through connection to the Wärtsilä Expertise Centre in Houston, Texas, enabling remote support, maintenance planning, and predictive maintenance intelligence.