MAN Diesel has signed a contract with Empower Ltd. for the supply of 15 × 18V28/32S MAN Diesel four-stroke generating sets (gensets).

Empower is a new company, established to develop a fleet of generating equipment for leasing to utility and industrial customers in emerging markets (initially Africa) on a short-term, flexible basis. Empower will operate the units on behalf of its customers, who will then purchase power under a standardised PPA (Power Purchase Agreement). The company is wholly owned by Actis Infrastructure 2 LP, a fund established and managed by Actis, a leading private-equity investor in emerging markets.

The 18V28/32S engine is a turbocharged, single-acting, four-stroke diesel engine of the trunk-piston type with a cylinder bore of 280 mm, a stroke of 320 mm, and a crankshaft speed of 720/750 rpm. Each genset has an output of 4,230 kW with delivery due on a staggered basis over the summer of 2008.

The 15 gensets will be deployed at one or more locations in sub-Saharan Africa, most likely in batches of three. The gensets will be packaged for Empower Ltd. by East African Industrial Development Ltd. (EAID), the MAN Diesel representative for East Africa. EAID was closely involved in the original design of the generation concept.

V28/32S engines are well-known for their ability to run on HFO, their high reliability, the long time between overhauls, and their lifetime of over 20 years if properly maintained. Units are used worldwide by power plants, and as auxiliary engines aboard ships. A total of over 5,000 such engines are currently in service.