Case Study: Elering achieves rapid blackout protection with Wärtsilä Energy's 250 MW emergency reserve power plant

Elering builds a 250 MW emergency reserve power plant with Wärtsilä

The Estonian transmission system operator Elering faced the challenge of preventing national blackouts, requiring an emergency power reserve that could start without external electricity and reach full output in minutes to stabilize the grid. They partnered with Wärtsilä Energy to implement a solution using Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines.

Wärtsilä implemented a fully automated, 250 MW power plant featuring 27 internal combustion engines that can ramp to full capacity in under ten minutes, even from a total blackout. The solution provides true grid stability, capable of compensating for the loss of the country's largest generation unit, and operates an average of 200 hours per year with minimal standby consumption.

Elering