Wärtsilä is to supply a 75 MWe liquid biofuel power plant to the Italian city of Acerra, near Naples. The EUR 60 million turnkey contract was awarded by Fri-El Acerra Srl, an independent power producer formed through a joint venture between Italy’s Fri-El SpA and Energies Nouvelles of France. The engineering, procurement and construction contract includes not only the supply of four Wärtsilä 18V46 gensets with combined cycle in order to maximise electricity production, but everything else from the supply of a fuel unloading area to grid connection systems. An Operation and Maintenance (O&M) agreement is also under negotiation. When installed, the plant will replace two gas turbines and run on palm oil that, in part, will be cultivated from plantations owned by Fri-El. It is expected to be online and supplying power to the grid in October 2007. Fri-El, a specialist in power generation from renewable energy sources, is expected to benefit from the “Green Certificate” incentives introduced by the Italian Government to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. The plant will emit almost no CO2 emissions, keeping the plant in line with Italy’s target for reducing greenhouse gas emission.
