AMMAN: The inauguration of IPP3, the world’s largest internal combustion engine (ICE) power plant, takes place today at the plant site near Amman, Jordan. The plant is powered by 38 Wärtsilä 50DF multi-fuel engines with a combined capacity of 573 MW. In recognition of its world record size, the plant has been accepted into the Guinness book of records.
The 250 MW IPP4, have been in commercial operation since late 2014. According to data provided by the Jordanian grid operator NEPCO, their impact on the Jordanian power grid has been remarkable. Since the two engine plants have covered most of the peak demand, large gas turbine power plants in the grid have been released from this task. As a result, turbines now produce steady baseload, operating much more efficiently. This leads to significant savings in fuel, energy costs and CO2 emissions.
Fast-reacting back-up capacity will also be needed to balance variable renewable power. 600 MW of solar and 1200 MW of wind energy are expected to be installed in Jordan by 2020. In addition to operational flexibility, IPP3 provides fuel flexibility. The tri-fuel plant can run on heavy fuel oil (HFO), light fuel oil (LFO) and natural gas.
