Baku Module Power Plant opened

Etibar Pirverdiyev, chairman of "Azerenergy" joint-stock venture informed the President of the plant.

He said that the foundation of the plant was laid in June 2006 and it commissioned within six months. The plant runs on gas and consumes 260g fuel. 120 men are employed in the plant. Pirverdiyev said AZN50m was spent on the construction of the plant.

He noted that commissioning of the plant will improve Baku’s energy supply, APA reports.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that great funds have been allocated to improve energy system in Azerbaijan. The head of state said the foreign company that ran Baku's electricity network ruined the company's energy system.

"We should reconstruct it. I hope that our energy balance will improve in 2007-2008. There is potential for it and we allocate funds. We allocated hundred millions funds to the construction of these plants. This process will continue. We should eliminate all problems in the sphere of energy supply in Azerbaijan. Though there is improvement in this field, we are not satisfied with it. We have long-term program. We should focus attention on the fulfilment of this program," the president said.

Azerenergy ordered five power plants, all based on multiple W?rtsil? 34SG gas-engined generating sets. The power plants, located in (87MWe) Astara, Khachmaz, Nakhchivan and Sheki, have all been commissioned during 2006.

In addition, W?rtsil? Corporation was in December 2006, awarded a contract by Azerenergy, the Azerbaijan national electricity company, to deliver a multi-fuelled generating plant for a 300MWe power plant to be located at Sangachal, 50 km south of the capital Baku. The plant will be equipped with 18 generating sets each powered by an 18-cylinder W?rtsil? 50DF engine, delivering 17 MW. W?rtsil? will also deliver the power plant design, other principal equipment and all building materials, while undertaking supervision of the building and equipment installation. The W?rtsil? 50DF engines give the plant considerable fuel flexibility.

The engines will primarily run on natural gas, with a small quantity of pilot liquid fuel for ignition. However, it will also be possible to switch the engines over to heavy fuel oil if there is a problem with the gas supply, and the engines can also use light fuel oil. The engines will deliver the same power on all three fuels.

The plant is scheduled to be fully operational in October 2008.