Wärtsilä wins O&M agreement with Umm Al Qura Cement

Wärtsilä has signed a five-year operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement with the Saudi Arabian cement producer Umm Al Qura Cement Co. It is the third agreement term for the customer’s captive power plant installation. Following the continued efficient and reliable performance of the power plant, this latest contract was renewed for five years in November 2020.

The 47MW plant is located in Taif City in western Saudi Arabia. It operates with five Wärtsilä 32TS engines, a two-stage turbo-charged version of the standard Wärtsilä 32 engine series, which features low fuel and lubrication oil consumption. Since the plant supplies the power needed to operate the cement production facility, reliability and availability are essential.

"We are satisfied in the way that Wärtsilä has operated and maintained the power plant, which has allowed us to focus on producing cement with an uninterrupted supply of electricity. We have been pleased to recommend Wärtsilä also to other producers in the industry," commented Fawaz Al Mutairi, CEO, Umm Al Qura Cement Co.

"The Wärtsilä 32TS engine with two-stage turbocharging is optimised for reliable performance in extreme ambient conditions. It is designed to deliver outstanding efficiency with reduced fuel and water consumption in high altitudes and hot temperatures. This makes it ideal for locations such as this plant in Saudi Arabia and is a key factor in the plant’s continued efficient operation," said Haidar Al Hertani, managing director, Wärtsilä Saudi Arabia.