- Technology group Wärtsilä has secured a contract to supply engines, controls, and auxiliary systems for a new 120-megawatt power plant in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
- The project, commissioned by independent power producer Zenith Energy Operations, will support the expansion of the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) operation, one of Australia’s largest gold mining sites, owned by Northern Star Resources.
- Power generation expected to commence by mid-2027 pending regulatory and environmental approvals.
The new plant will use Wärtsilä’s fast-starting engines, designed to provide essential grid-balancing capabilities as Northern Star increases its use of wind and solar energy. The facility may also be connected in the future to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), enhancing regional energy resilience.
Zenith Energy CTO Simon Jelly said the longstanding partnership with Wärtsilä has been central to the company’s energy strategy. “Wärtsilä’s technology has consistently delivered strong reliability and efficiency. The flexibility of the Wärtsilä engines will be fundamental in enabling higher penetration of renewable energy, supporting major emissions reductions while maintaining reliable power for the mine and, potentially, for the wider Kalgoorlie community,” he said.
Under the agreement, Wärtsilä will provide ten Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines with synchronous condenser capability, along with engineering services, auxiliary modules, and control systems. The synchronous condenser feature will allow generators to supply reactive power and inertia even when the engines are offline, improving voltage stability, frequency control, and short-circuit capacity during periods of high renewable energy input.
Kari Punnonen, Energy Business Director for Australasia at Wärtsilä Energy, highlighted the significance of the project: “Our 31DF engines are highly efficient and reliable, offering the flexibility needed to support increased renewable utilisation with reduced emissions. We are excited to continue our collaboration with Zenith as they advance their decarbonisation goals.”
Zenith Energy has previously deployed Wärtsilä’s technologies across multiple sites, including dual-fuel and pure gas engines as well as an energy storage system using Wärtsilä’s Quantum modules and GEMS Digital Energy Platform.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
