The new plant will operate with ten Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines, which will replace a 100MW combined cycle gas turbine that was formerly located on the project site.
The fast-starting engines will provide the grid balancing and peaking capabilities that, according to Wärtsilä, are increasingly required as Japan adds renewable sources to its energy mix.
The Japanese power producer and supplier has opted for gas engine technology for a utility-scale power plant with the main purpose of hedging market price fluctuations. Furthermore, the plant will also enable participation in the recently launched cross-regional balancing market.
Japan’s government launched the cross-regional balancing market in 2021 with the aim of bridging the gap between energy demand and supply during times when much variable renewable energy is being introduced into the system.
“The trend towards sustainable power production is very strong in Japan, and we are very pleased to support this trend with our flexible engine technology,” said Sushil Purohit, president, Wärtsilä Energy and EVP, Wärtsilä.
