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CUC set to sign Engine 4 contract
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Posted on Oct 10 2005
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is expected to sign today a contract amounting to about $600,000 for the purchase, shipping, and installment of a new crankshaft for Engine 4 at Power Plant 1 in Lower Base.
Authorities said Thursday that the contract has been negotiated “and will be signed [today].”
CUC contractor, Man B&W Singapore, represented by project manager Ivo Post, said that attempts to salvage the existing crankshaft has proven to be futile.
“Despite all efforts to save the crankshaft, there’s no other way but to buy a brand new one,” Post said during a press briefing Thursday.
He said that since it is difficult to find an already manufactured crankshaft, it would take one year to have it made, shipped, and installed. Engine 4, which has been down since July this year, generates 6.5 megawatts.
Engine 3, which also produces 6.5 megawatts, is down and expected to be up in middle of this month.
Currently, only six of the eight-engine Power Plant 1 are operational, providing some 53 megawatts daily.
The daily power generation totals 67 megawatts, owing to 4 megawatts from Power Plant 2 and 10 megawatts from Power Plant 4.
CUC earlier said that when Engine 3 at the main power plant gets operational this month, it would have to shut down Engine 1 for needed repair and maintenance work. Engine 1 produces 6.5 megawatts.
By design, Power Plant 1 has a capacity of 81.2 megawatts, Power Plant 2 has 15 megawatts, and Power Plant 4 has 17.5 megawatts.
Power Plant 3 at Isley Field, which has three broken engines, had a capacity of 4.5 megawatts.
Earlier, CUC executive director Lorraine A. Babauta said that the utility firm would relocate Power Plant 3 beside the main power plant in Lower Base. As of last week, she said it was not clear yet when the site will be available in Lower Base. She said the delay is due to permitting issues.
At the same time, she said that relocation of a generator from Tinian has not been implemented due to “permitting delays.”
The Tinian generator, which has an output of 5 megawatts, would be installed for Power Plant 3 in Lower Base.
Tinian has had extra engines following the privatization of power generation on the island in the late ’90s.
