MAN inaugurates Benin’s natural gas-fired power plant

MAN Energy Solutions said it has inaugurated the 127 MW Maria Gleta natural gas power plant near the city of Cotonou in Benin.

The plant was built by a consortium featuring MAN Energy Solutions and BWSC.

“The Maria Gleta power plant increases Benin’s capacity for electricity generation by more than 50 percent,” said Dona Jean-Claude Houssou, minister for energy of Benin.

The Maria Gleta plant is planned to be expanded to a total capacity of 400 MW later on as part of this program.

Recently, the government of Benin has signed an agreement with Total, a leading LNG supplier, for the development of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) which will ensure the supply of the Maria Gleta plant with liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Waldemar Wiesner, head of region Middle-East Africa, power plant sales at MAN Energy Solutions, added, “The plant will mainly operate on natural gas keeping emissions at a low level, while ensuring fuel flexibility through its dual-fuel capability.”