STELCO Celebrates 30 Years Working With Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä and the government-owned, State Electrical Company (STELCO) are celebrating 30 years of continuous operation of their generating sets that provide power to the Maldives'. STELCO purchased the first Wärtsilä engines for its Malé power station in 1990. These engines continue to operate at high efficiency even today, highlighting the engines' robust technology, reliability, and long-life expectancy while also recognizing STELCO's engineers' excellent workmanship in operating and maintaining engine power plants.
 
This successful installation has also laid the groundwork for a long-term partnership between Wärtsilä and STELCO. STELCO has added six more Wärtsilä engines to the Malé plant since that initial investment, and six Wärtsilä engines were installed at STELCO's power plant on the island of Hulhumalé in 2019. All of these installed generating sets are operational and efficiently supplying power to their respective regions. Wärtsilä currently supplies approximately 100 MW of generating capacity to the Maldives.
 
The relationship has been strengthened further by Wärtsilä's lifecycle services. Wärtsilä has assisted and trained STELCO engineers in the operation and maintenance of the power plants over the years, and has upgraded the Wärtsilä engines at the Malé power plant. These upgrades ensure efficient and dependable operation, as well as reduced fuel consumption and emissions. A recent example is Wärtsilä's state-of-the-art engine control and monitoring system, which provides improved operational performance, effective load sharing, and improved data archiving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wärtsilä digitally assisted STELCO in ensuring the plant's operational reliability.
 
“Maldives is an island nation mainly thriving on tourism and resorts. The engine power plants are required to perform at optimum levels at all times to ensure a reliable supply of energy for the communities and businesses in varying situations. We have benefited from Wärtsilä’s technical capabilities and customer support since the installation of the first Wärtsilä engines in 1990.” Stated Managing Director of STELCO, Ahmed Shareef. “The fact that those engines continue to provide reliable and efficient power to our community after so many years is truly outstanding. Wärtsilä’s past, present, and future commitment to supplying our electricity needs in the ongoing energy transition with an increasing share of renewables is much appreciated,”
 
With the help of international organizations, the Maldives hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. On many of the smaller islands, hybrid installations with solar and energy storage are already in place. Wärtsilä engines' flexibility, which can reach full output in minutes from start-up, enables highly effective grid balancing to compensate for the inherent fluctuation of renewable energy supplies, making engines a perfect match for renewable integration now and in the future. Wärtsilä's dedication to engine research and development for future sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels ensures that the assets are future-proof.