HELSINKI, November 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the inauguration of the 200 MW Nishat Power Ltd power plant, located at Jambar Kalan, near Bhai Pheru in the District of Kasur, takes place with a ceremony at the plant site. The principal guest and main speaker will be Mr Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister of Pakistan. Also in attendance will be Pakistan's Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf; the Chairman of the Nishat Group, Mian Mohammad Mansha; the Governor of the Punjab, Mr Salman Taseer; the Chief Minister of the Punjab, Mr Mian Shahbaz Sharif as well as senior representatives of Wartsila, the supplier of the power plant.

Wartsila has been responsible for the engineering, procurement and project management. Its scope of supply has included 11 Wartsila 18V46 generating sets, each with a rated capacity in excess of 17 MW. An additional 14 MW of electricity is generated by a combined cycle steam turbine, which utilizes the waste heat from the engines. The plant will be operated and maintained by Wartsila Pakistan under an initial 5-year agreement.

The electricity produced by the plant will be supplied to the national grid, and will thus ease to some extent the country's existing power shortage. Furthermore, since the local fuel supply situation is often unreliable, the fuel flexibility of the Wartsila engines offers an ideal solution for this location. Wartsila's technology enables the utilization of locally available fuel with the highest possible efficiency to ensure a reliable supply of power to the grid. The plant's life cycle efficiency is rated at an outstanding 45%, and the average availability of its power supply is estimated to average 88%.

Wartsila and the Nishat Group have a long established relationship, Nishat having purchased its first Wartsila engines in 2003. Today, the company owns some 600 MW of Wartsila power plants.

In his message to the inauguration, Ole Johansson, CEO of Wartsila Corporation said: "This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the strong and lasting relationship between our companies. Wartsila has a global track record of showing strong commitment to its customers, and this commitment is evidenced by the fact that we established Wartsila Pakistan already 15 years ago, in 1994. This local presence enables us to support our operations in Pakistan, and train local personnel in the efficient operation and service of our power plant installations. Nishat Power Ltd is a prestigious project for Pakistan in general, and for the Nishat Group in particular. We congratulate everyone involved and are proud to play our part in providing Pakistan with reliable and sustainable power."

Wartsila in brief

Wartsila is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wartsila maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.

In 2008, Wartsila's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with 19,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wartsila is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.

http://www.wartsila.com