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Wärtsilä has launched what it calls its next-generation grid balancing technology, designed to provide flexible grid capacity even in adverse weather conditions and enabling renewables to perform as the lowest-cost, most resilient power source for grids worldwide. The solution is based on three fully integrated key components – the Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer engine generator set, prefabricated modules for cost-efficient plant construction and Wärtsilä Lifecycle support services.
The Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer engine is a 20-cylinder vee-configuration lean-burn natural gas engine with bore and stroke dimensions of 310 x 430 mm and a total displacement of 65 L. The engine which incorporates two-stage turbocharging, delivers 12,400 kWe at 60 Hz, 8% more power than the standard 31SG. Wärtsilä said the new engine technology is designed to provide power producers with fast-ramping balancing power, which can be scaled up as the share of renewables in power systems increases. The engine can start and ramp up rapidly to support intermittent renewable generation so that the lowest cost cleanest energy technology can become the dominant power source.