Wärtsilä signs agreement for gas power plant projects in USA

The technology group Wärtsilä and Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in order to develop two flexible gas power plant projects, which could be as large as 450 MW each, in the USA.

“Renewables are an important part of a diverse energy mix, and flexible generation complements the rapid growth of intermittent renewables,” said Southern Power President and CEO Buzz Miller.

Under the agreement, Southern Power will lead this project development effort and Wärtsilä will provide technical and commercial support. Wärtsilä and Southern Power would build the power plants jointly and Wärtsilä’s scope would be extended equipment supply.

“The intention of Southern Power to invest in developing large projects with our flexible gas technology is a major milestone for our systematic market development in the USA. We will provide our full support to Southern Power for the project development, and hope that this co-operation will lead to more similar projects in the future,” said Jussi Heikkinen, Market Development Director at Wärtsilä North America Inc.

Wartsila has also signed contracts with the cities of Denton and Tallahassee over the past 12 months, growing footprint in the USA.