Technology group Wärtsilä will supply Mexico’s state-owned electricity utility, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), with two large multi-fuel power plants with a combined output of 600MW.

The projects will be delivered by Wärtsilä on a full EPC basis and jointly represent the largest generating capacity EPC contract ever awarded to the company.

The projects comprise a 400MW facility, the Mexicali Oriente power plant located in Mexico’s Baja California state, and the Parque Industrial plant, a 200MW generating unit located in Sonora, Mexico.

The Mexicali Oriente plant will operate with 24 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines, while the Parque Industrial plant will feature 22 Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines. The engines will operate primarily on gas with the capability to use liquid fuel as a back-up if required.

“Wärtsilä’s experience with EPC deliveries, its ability to deliver on a fast-track basis, and the efficiency of the company’s engine technology were key considerations in the contract award,” commented Risto Paldanius, Vice President, Americas, Wärtsilä Energy. “The power plants will serve the local needs today, and they will adapt to future needs.”

During the summer months, the plants will operate continuously in order to meet the high electricity demand in the region, when temperatures can reach +50 °C. For the remainder of the year, they will be used to provide grid balancing service.

The power plants are to be completed in phases during 2022 and 2023.