“The engines will be better off with the coming of the Aggreko generators,” he said, referring to first shipment of the contractor that will supply the island with power for $6 million under a one-year contract.
The power technical specialist, who works for CUC, welcomed the government’s move to hire additional engineers and mechanics for the repair and maintenance of the power plant engines.
“There’s still hope to salvage those engines,” he added.
A document from CUC showed that Power Plant 1’s Engines 2 and 3, which were made by Mitsubishi, are still operational but need to be overhauled.
Engine 7 is under repair and still operational but its exhaust valve has to be replaced and is due for overhaul.
Engines 2 and 3 were installed in 1980 while Engine 7 was installed in 1992.
Muna said the Engines 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, which have to overhauled, are still operational.
The power technical specialist said even the engines at Power Plant 4 are older but are “still working very well.”
According to CUC, all 10 engines of Power Plant 4, except no. 1, have been “decommissioned due to a broken crankshaft,” but are still operational.
The plant’s Engines 2 and 3 were installed in 1968.
Both were non-operational when Pacific Marine & Industrial Corp. assumed the management of the plant from CUC in 1991.
The common cause of CUC’s engine troubles is the “neglect of the power utilities to fully maintain and observed the manufacturer’s specification in the maintenance of the machine,” the power technical specialist said.
He said most of the engines have an ineffective cooling system because the “personnel might be using untreated water.”
When the previous management of PMIC — not Rolls Royce — entered into contract with CUC to manage Power Plant 4 in 1991, there were only three units, all of which were not operational.
The engines became operational in 1997.
Rolls Royce assumed the management of PMIC in 2002.
Engines 4 and 5 were installed and commissioned by PMIC in 1992.
Engine 1 was added in 2000.
CUC states that the 36-year-old six engines of Power Plant 2 are all under repair. The engines, which have a 2.5-megawatt capacity, have no output at present.
