Jose de San Martin Thermoelectric Plant Connected to Argentina's Interconnected Electricity System

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Construction on the Jose de San Martin thermoelectric plant in Timbues has been completed, and the plant has been connected to Argentina's Interconnected National System (SIN). See related December 14, 2007, article - Argentine Jose de San Martin Thermo Plant To Begin Commercial Operation in May 2008.

Plant authorities said the first turbine of 279-megawatt (MW) capacity will begin dispatch electricity to the system in July 2008. During the unit's test period currently under way, the turbine is burning natural gas, but it will eventually use diesel oil after the machine becomes stable.

In the next 60 days, maintenance personnel and Siemens (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) technicians will perform unit start-up testing procedures for it to gradually go from 20 MW to 30 MW until it achieves commercial operation by the end of July 2008. Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is expected to head the inauguration ceremony, as she did for the inauguration of its twin Manuel Belgrano thermoelectric power plant's first turbine in March 2008. See related March 20, 2008, article - Argentine President Inaugurates 400-Megawatt Turbine at Manuel BelgranoThermoelectric Plant.

The complete combined-cycle unit is composed of two Siemens high-efficiency gas turbines (SGT5-4000F) of 279 MW each, and one Siemens 137 MW steam turbine (SST-5000) totaling 800 MW of electricity output, expected to become online in the third quarter of 2009.

Siemens will handle maintenance for the power plant for 10 years. The plant, constructed and operated by independent power producer Termoelectrica Jose de San Martin S.A. (TSM), is near Rosario in the province of Santa Fe.

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