Wärtsilä wins EPC contract for EPV's 43 MW balancing plant in Finland
Four 34SG engines and a six-year service agreement are planned for Mertaniemi, with full operation targeted for the first half of 2029.
The story explained
Wärtsilä announced on 12 November that it will supply a 43 MW gas-engine power plant and a six-year service agreement to EPV Energy Ltd. The facility will be built at the existing Mertaniemi power plant site in Lappeenranta, Finland, under a full engineering, procurement and construction contract. Wärtsilä booked the order in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Four Wärtsilä 34SG engines will initially run on natural gas. Biogas and synthetic renewable gases are intended to be introduced as sufficient supplies become available. Rapid starting and stopping will support balancing during demand peaks, system disturbances and low wind or solar output. The release gives neither a numerical starting time nor a hydrogen-blending specification.
The service agreement covers maintenance planning and coordination, operational support, digitally enabled predictive maintenance, spare parts, field service and control-system patching. Full operation is planned for the first half of 2029. This is EPV’s second balancing project, distinct from its Tornio plant that entered service in April 2026. Contract value and valve or pump subcontract packages are not disclosed.
Why it matters
Editorial assessment: the EPC and service scope defines a clearer delivery and maintenance framework for fuel supply, engine auxiliaries and controls. Individual fluid-equipment suppliers remain unconfirmed.
Relevant toValve, pump, actuator and process-control professionals
What to watch next
Track construction milestones, fuel and auxiliary-system equipment packages, and conditions for introducing renewable gases.
These are research prompts, not announced tenders or confirmed subsequent developments.
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä secures another balancing power project in Finland, adding needed flexible capacity
This is an independently written summary and analysis, not an official translation. Project plans and status may change.