The technology group Wärtsilä has announced to deliver a turnkey power plant to provide electricity for the Phase 2 expansion of the Tasiast mine in Mauritania
The contract has been signed with Tasiast Mauritanie Ltd, a subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation, the Canada-based gold mining company.
The 60MW plant is one of the biggest projects of its type in West Africa in 2017, and is expected to supply the electricity needed to run the mine at the expanded capacity of 30,000 tonnes per day.
The Phase Two project is seen to generate positive economic benefits for Mauritania and its people through additional taxes, duties, wages and locally supplied goods and services.
“Wärtsilä is appreciative of the support of the government of Mauritania during its seven years of operation in the country, and continues to maintain a cooperative and constructive relationship with the government and other local stakeholders,” according to the company.
The plant will operate using six Wärtsilä 32TS engines. Commercial production at Phase 2 is expected to begin in Q3 2020. The company also delivered the power generating engines for the 19MW power plant serving the Tasiast mine’s phase 1B project.
