Wärtsilä has won a contract to deliver a 45 MW power plant to Riyadh Cement Company (RCC) in Saudi Arabia. The value of the contract, signed in June 2005, is approx. EUR 26 million. The plant will be fully operational during the first half of 2007.

To help meet a strong demand for cement throughout the country, Riyadh Cement Company (RCC) is one of the first companies to make a decision to set up a cement plant of a capacity of 5000 tons per day. The cement plant will be located approximately 75 km southwest of Riyadh.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract features six Wärtsilä 20V32 generating sets which will burn heavy fuel oil. The 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 32 engines were chosen because they meet the customer’s requirements at the high ambient temperature of 50°C and the plant’s high altitude (835 metres above sea level). Wärtsilä’s ability to operate reliably under such conditions is well established in the market.

The contract award was based on Wärtsilä’s presence in the local market in which the company’s generating sets have gained a good reputation for reliability. Another key factor is that the company’s generating sets are known for their cost-effective lifecycle operating costs.

Additionally, Wärtsilä’s local operations have become well renowned due to the effective after-sales support services provided by the company’s regional office based in Jeddah. In this region, a positive local reputation is a valuable commodity when tendering for new power plant contracts.

Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing a significant growth in construction projects as the government is spending heavily on building new infrastructure projects including roads, schools and other public buildings. This development is a part of the government’s strong commitment to improving the living standards for its people.