Argentina's Pampa to Launch Operations at Loma de la Lata Combined-Cycle Plant in June

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Argentina's power holding firm Pampa Energia S.A. (NYSE:PAM) (Buenos Aires) expects to launch full commercial operations at the Loma de la Lata combined-cycle plant by the end of second-quarter 2011. The plant, which is in the province of Neuquen, in southern Argentina, currently operates with three 125-megawatt (MW) General Electric (NYSE:GE) (GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut) MS9001E open-cycle combustion turbines that were inaugurated in 1994.

The new Siemens SST-900 steam turbine, which was supposed to begin operations early 2011, is undergoing repairs due to a technical problem in the lubrication system. With the Voigt heat-recovery steam generators, it will add 178 MW of capacity and will enable the facility to achieve a total production of 540 MW, if operational as planned in June 2011.

For the works, Pampa Energia hired contractor Isolux-Corsan (Madrid, Spain) and local company Tecna (Buenos Aires), which are currently disassembling the turbine and taking the rotor apart to be repaired.

The plant is in Loma de la Lata, near one of the largest gas fields in Latin America.

The combined-cycle expansion required an investment of $216 million and its output will be sold under the Energia Plus Program, which began in 2008 with the installation of a 100-MW GE LMS100 aeroderivative combustion turbine at the Central Guemes, in the northern province of Salta.

The Loma de la Lata project falls within the clean development mechanism (CDM) and is based on compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, of which Argentina is a signatory.

A hot-gas path inspection is scheduled for Unit 1 for November this year with a duration of 21 days, plant officials told Industrial Info. Some of the works will include a change of combustion section; paddles; nozzles; and thermo segments. The works will be supervised by a GE technical advisor.

Also, a combustion inspection is scheduled for Unit 2 for March 2012, and a major 42-day overhaul of this unit for 2013.

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