Efficient and cost effective HFO power plant for Madagascar
Client: Jovena
Location: Madagascar
Sectors: Utilities
The Challenge
Deliver stable power and lower the total cost of energy
Utility company Jirama powers Madagascar and has a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with our customer, fuel supplier Jovena.
The island’s power comes from a mix of diesel, Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and hydro power stations, but summer droughts hampered hydro generation and their other plants were ageing and not as efficient as might be hoped. Jovena needed to provide the island with reliable, uninterrupted power and if it could be generated with a reduced overall cost of energy, all the better.
We felt sure we had the answer to address all those needs in a reliable, efficient and cost effective way.
We knew our mobile, modular HFO power plant would tick a number of boxes, and we could get it up and running quicker and cheaper than building permanent power infrastructure.
Project fact file
The Solution
28 MW of reliable, uninterrupted HFO power for 16 hours a day
We replaced a diesel power plant at Ambohimanambola with a fuel efficient and cost effective plant run on HFO, powered by market leading MAN engines, which are built to our exact specification so we can provide exactly what Jovena needed.
We provide power and take our environmental responsibilities very seriously at the same time, which means we always respect and protect the areas in which we work.
Ambohimanambola and the capital Antananarivo are linked by only one road and that road runs over a bridge. Our equipment would be transported on trucks weighing 80 tonnes, so we worked with the local authorities to ensure the bridge could withstand the weight. It meant installing some scaffolding to support the bridge during transportation and then dismantling it after our equipment was delivered. The bridge was safe and the critical road remained unaffected.
Our HFO plant is installed as a 16-pack set up, complete with fuel and water treatment units, and all other ancillaries. We even installed a substation to increase the line voltage from 11 to 63 kV.
We optimise the HFO to ensure the plant can run at maximum efficiency, and to this end developed a robust process involving a two fuel tank system. We use a 300m3 fuel test tank which we then inject into a bigger 1,200m3 tank. This tank process and system provides an additional safety net, which helps us ensure uninterrupted power that is reliable, to give total peace of mind.
The Impact
Efficient power and 20% cost savings
We guarantee at least 25 MW 16 hours a day from our 28 MW plant. Our onsite fuel treatment facility ensures the quality of the fuel, so power can be generated efficiently and cost effectively.
We help ensure the 1.4 million residents of the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo get reliable, uninterrupted power and the utility saves 20 percent on its fuel costs.
We’d been working in Madagascar for more than five years, and this latest partnership with Jovena brought us into their PPA, which means Jovena can produce and sell efficient and reliable power, in addition to selling fuel. It’s an all-round winning partnership.