Wartsila extends O&M agreement with Lafarge Africa

Wärtsilä has signed a five-year Operation & Maintenance (O&M) agreement with Nigeria's Lafarge Africa Plc. The agreement covers the 100MW Lafarge Ewekoro power plant and is an extension of a previous 10-year agreement.

The captive Ewekoro plant was supplied and commissioned by Wärtsilä in 2011. It consists of six 50DF dual-fuel engines, operating primarily on gas, but with the flexibility to automatically switch to liquid fuel in case of a disruption to the gas supply.

"We have benefited significantly from the efficient way by which Wärtsilä has operated and maintained this plant for the past ten years, and we had no hesitation in extending the agreement for a further five years. An uninterrupted reliable supply of electricity is essential to our production and having our own power plant, built, operated and maintained by Wärtsilä, gives us this assurance," said Lanre Opakunle, strategic sourcing director, Power & Gas, Middle East & Africa.