Taiwanese power generation company Ta-Yuan Cogen has selected technology firm Wärtsilä to reduce its reliance on heavy fuel oil for power generation.

Wärtsilä will convert Ta-Yuan Cogen’s cogeneration power plant in Taoyuan City from heavy fuel oil to operate on natural gas.

As part of an engineering, procurement, and construction contract signed by the two companies, Wärtsilä is providing its three 50DF dual-fuel engines with a total power output of 32MW.

The three natural gas-fueled engines will replace existing three Wärtsilä 46 engines which were installed in 1998.

The electricity produced will be delivered both to the grid and to local industrial consumers, while the generated heat will be supplied to industries in the vicinity of the plant.

The conversion will improve the efficiency of the plant, provide the needed flexibility to allow participation in the ancillary service market, notably improve environmental sustainability by reducing emissions, and support grid balancing as energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, is added.

The project is scheduled to commence in Autumn 2021 and is expected to be fully completed in early 2022.

Jeff Chang, president of Ta-Yuan Congen Co., Ltd, said: “Our company is committed to promoting cogeneration, improving energy efficiency to ease pressure on the domestic power supply, and to save [the] environment. By converting this plant to operate on gas instead of HFO, we are endorsing this commitment.”

Nicolas Leong, director, North & South East Asia, Wärtsilä Energy, adds: “The goal for Taiwan’s power utilities is to have twenty percent of their energy from renewables by 2025. This will affect the stability of the grid, and efficient balancing to offset the inherent fluctuations in supply is essential. The Wärtsilä engines have the fast-starting and stopping flexibility to meet this need and to deliver the system reliability required.”