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Venezuela's largest power plant running at 12% capacity
Venezuelas Planta Centro, the largest thermal power plant in Latin America, is generating only 240-MW of its total 2,000-MW because of the unavailability of four of its five generating units.Unit 2 is finally being brought online after maintenance personnel found high levels of vibration in bearings No.1, No.2 and No. 5 during its restart on September 6, 2007. Currently, the plant-maintenance division is controlling the turbines start-up and will proceed with the units synchronization with the electrical grid after nominal speed is reached. On June 28, 2007, Unit 3s generator failed because of a detached blade of the hydrogen-cooling ventilator, causing cracks in the primary water systems hoses. Alstom Power specialists have started revisions and repairs on the turbines generator. Support work on the feed water tank, low and high-pressure preheaters and main boiler are also being conducted. Repairs on the 400-MW unit are expected to take about 30 days. Unit 4 continues to run at about half capacity, generating only 240-MW of its 400-MW because of a high-pressure difference in the inlet/outlet of the regenerative air heaters. The plants maintenance division undertook lubes/cleaning works on October 15, 2007. Units 1 and 5 are unavailable, undergoing conversion of the main boilers to gas. Unit 1 began the conversion process in August 2003, and Alstom Power is performing the works. The same goes for Unit 5. In addition to the boiler conversion process, No. 5s transformer 5BT02 is being repaired. The plants engineers expect to have both units back online by May 2008. Compañía Anónima de Administración y Fomento Eléctricos (Cadafe) Planta Centro is Venezuelas largest thermal generating plant connected to Venezuelas power grid, with five generating units that burn natural gas and fuel oil. Venezuelas power-generation system is made up of eight private and five state-owned utilities. About 95 percent of Venezuelas population is served by the National Interconnected System. During the last few months, Venezuelas unfavorable weather conditions have made things difficult for the countrys power grid. Record high temperatures, electrical storms and heavy rains have caused major flaws to Venezuelas power system. Line contamination, low- and high-tension line dilatation, frequent power outages and electrical arcs are among some of the consequences of Venezuelas adverse weather conditions that have affected the countrys interconnected power system. (Source: Industrial Info Resources) Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-11-21 |
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