- Clarke Energy has supplied “La Centrale Laitière de Mahdia – Vitalait” with a second INNIO Jenbacher engine to support its growing energy demand.
- The Vitalait cogeneration facility has increased its total electrical power to 4MWe
- Cogeneration reduces Vitalait’s energy costs by more than 2 million TND per year, after deduction of operating costs.
- Clarke Energy’s solution also enables Vitalait to reduce carbon emissions by more than 6,000 tonnes per year, thanks to high energy efficiency.
Tunis, Tunisia, October 8, 2020, Clarke Energy and INNIO Jenbacher announce the project completion and commissioning of a second plant at the La Centrale Laitière de Mahdia – Vitalait power plant located in Mahdia, Tunisia. The installation of another INNIO Jenbacher gas engine has now increased the total electrical power at Vitalait’s facility to 4MWe.
Having started operations in December 1998, Vitalait currently maintains production capacity of 215 million litres of milk per year at its Mahdia plant. It produces a diverse range of products, including cheese and yogurt. At present, Vitalait has about 35 distributors throughout the Tunisian territory.
Clarke Energy, providing advanced INNIO gas engine technology, operates as a trusted partner to Vitalait for its energy efficiency projects. In 2013, Clarke Energy installed the first INNIO Jenbacher J612 gas engine at the Vitalait plant that provides an electric power output of 2MWe. The facility currently produces 1,100 KWth of hot water and 800 KWth of steam. In 2018, the Clarke Energy Tunisia maintenance team – staffed with highly trained and authorised Tunisian executives and technicians – successfully carried out the preventive semi-overhaul of the engine at 30,000 operating hours.
Second Jenbacher J612 engine installed at Vitalait
Seven years after the installation of the first INNIO Jenbacher gas engine, and in light of the plant’s growing energy demand, Vitalait decided to boost its electric and thermal self-production by installing an additional INNIO Jenbacher J612 gas engine.
The cogeneration plant currently consists of two INNIO Jenbacher J612 gas engines with a total output of 4 MWe. This cogeneration plant contributes to the reduction of the energy costs of Vitalait with a monthly gain of more than 166,000TND and, also, a reduction of carbon emissions of more than 6,000tonnes per year.
Mr. Hechmi Ali, Deputy General Manager of Vitalait commented:
“Clarke Energy and INNIO Jenbacher are our strategic affiliates for cogeneration. The signing of the second agreement testifies to our satisfaction with the quality of the product and the services provided as part of the first investment. We look forward to our collaboration spanning the next 15 years. Given our extraordinary growth, we will look to develop further.”
Clarke Energy Africa Director, Mr. Sahbi Amara commented:
“We are pleased to have reached this level in the relationship with La Centrale Laitière de Mahdia – Vitalait. With its turnkey offer and its services provided under long-term maintenance contracts, Clarke Energy supports its customers throughout the life cycle of installations by guaranteeing availability, reliability and performance. The success of Vitalait’s cogeneration installation is proof of the relevance of the cogeneration solution in Tunisia, with a well-defined legal framework, and that Jenbacher engines associated with Clarke Energy’s commitments today represent the best choice on the market.”
INNIO Jenbacher General Manager META & SA, Christof Harrasser, commented:
“Our INNIO Jenbacher gas engines provide a power range of 200 kW to 10 MW, furnishing onsite power, heat and cooling for a variety of commercial, industrial and municipal applications. We are happy to provide our INNIO Jenbacher gas engine technology to support La Centrale Laitière de Mahdia – Vitalait’s impressive growth across Tunisia. With the J612’s continuous enhancements and extensive operating hours, we are confident that Vitalait will continue to be their technology of choice for all their power generation needs.”
