Energetica India Magazine -October 2020

56 energetica INDIA- October_2020 Determining the right format for power generation is only the beginning of a power plant’s journey. Once the plant starts its commercial operation, how the power generation assets are managed is critical to its overall performance and profitability. In the energy sector, performance and profitability can be affected significantly by how power plants are operated and maintained. For utilities, the decision to establish a new power plant is not made lightly. It is a major investment for the future, but de- ciding to build a plant and determining what form that plant should take has to be made based on the currently available technology. In these circumstances, the ability of the tech- nology provider to offer customisable solutions that can be adapted as the market changes is critical as customers seek to future-proof their investments. Finding the right long-term solution for a power plant customer begins with gaining a detailed understanding of the custom- er’s particular situation and needs. It starts with an investigation – what type of power generation does the customer want? What is applicable for the country or region? What offtake models are valid in that country? A customer may want 24/7 power generation, or they may only want to run power plants at peak hours or during emergen- cies. Once it has been investigated what model the customer is looking for and what they really need, then there is a need to co-develop a concept that serves the customer’s needs. Preparing for a Renewable Future This investigative process also offers the opportunity for pro- viders and customers to have a discussion about transition- ing towards sustainable energy options that include wind and solar energy, coupled with battery storage and flexible gas engines. Converting dual-fuel combustion engines to a fully natural-gas powered operation is one way to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NoX) and sulphur dioxide (SoX) emissions and is a critical step in the transition to a carbon-neutral future. One might argue that if you are running engines, then you are burning fossil fuels. But what is being developed as we speak are synthetic renewable fuels that will be available for use in the engines in the future. Choosing an engine now that can be adapted to these new fuels is a way to future-proof your investment. Wärtsilä is currently developing a flexible gas plant in Australia that combines renewable resources with its engines. The engines herein only run when the renewables are not suf- ficient to meet the demand of power. It’s thus an interesting situation because this plant is next to an existing coal-fired Henri van Boxtel Director – South Asia, Wärtsilä Energy Business POWER SECTOR Powering the Future by Building on Today’s Solutions