Technology group Wärtsilä will supply an 18 MW extension to the power generating facility and also upgrade the electrical and automation system of the existing power plant at gold producer Endeavour Mining’s Sabodala-Massawa gold mine complex, in Senegal.

The upgrade and extension project will allow for the complete integration of all the site’s power-generating capacity, while ensuring the availability of the required electric power to maintain and expand the mine’s production schedules.

The order was placed by mine operator Sabodala Gold Operations and it has been booked in Wärtsilä’s order intake for the third quarter. The project will be delivered under a complete engineering, procurement and construction contract.

The Sabodala-Massawa mine is the largest producing gold mine in Senegal, located in the eastern part of the country in the Kedougou region. Endeavour's planned mine expansion will transform Sabodala-Massawa into a top-tier gold asset with incremental production.

“Not being connected to the grid means that the captive plant has to be capable of providing a reliable supply of electricity at all times, since no power equals no production.

“The Wärtsilä 32 engines selected for this expansion project have . . . high efficiency and reliability under even the most difficult ambient conditions, eliminating revenue losses from power shortages,” said Wärtsilä West Africa energy business director Marc Thiriet on August 16.

The three Wärtsilä 32 engines to be installed are 20% more fuel efficient than the plant’s existing engines. Their fuel efficiency reduces the environmental impact by reducing emissions.

They also have the flexibility to support the integration of solar power and energy storage into the system. The upgrade of the electrical and automation system will optimise the interconnection and control for the existing power plant with the extension, the company said.

The project is expected to be completed and commissioned before the end of 2023. 

Wärtsilä already has 543 MW of installed capacity in 20 power plants in Senegal, with 458 MW of this capacity under Wärtsilä long-term service agreements.