The ‘Maria Gleta’ power plant near the city of Cotonou, Benin, has been inaugurated by Dona Jean-Claude Houssou, the Minister for Energy of Benin, as well as representatives of MAN Energy Solutions and BWSC.
The plant is now fully operational and will supply the grid of Benin with 127 MW of electrical output. At the heart of the plant lie seven MAN 18V51/60DF gensets, which will mainly run on low-emission natural gas. 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%. Our country now becomes more independent of energy imports,” said Jean-Claude Houssou.
“Thus Maria Gleta provides the conditions for positive economic prospects for Benin. It is an essential part of our action plan ‘Revealing Benin’, centred around 45 flagship projects aimed at strengthening macroeconomic development, consolidating democracy and improving living environment for the people of Benin.”
The Maria Gleta plant is planned to be expanded to a total capacity of 400 MW as part of this programme. During the inauguration, the facility was also visited by a delegation of energy secretaries from the neighbouring countries Burkina-Faso, Togo, Niger and by the general secretary of West Africa Power Pool (WAPP).
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).
Maria Gleta combines low-emission power generation and security of supply.
Waldemar Wiesner, head of region MEA (Middle-East Africa), power plant sales at MAN Energy Solutions, added, “We are very pleased that we are able to support Benin’s ambitious growth plans with this project. Maria Gleta ensures a stable and independent power supply for Benin. The plant will mainly operate on natural gas keeping emissions at a low level, while ensuring fuel flexibility through its dual-fuel capability. This combination connects an environmentally friendly power generation with a secure supply at all time.”