Venezuela’s Planta Centro Running At 12% Of Total Capacity

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Venezuela’s Planta Centro, the largest thermal power plant in Latin America, is generating only 240 megawatts (MW) of its total 2,000 MW because of the unavailability of four of its five generating units. For more details, view related September 12, 2007, article - Planta Centro forced to Shut Two of Five Generators for Repairs.

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 turbine’s start-up and will proceed with the unit’s synchronization with the electrical grid after nominal speed is reached.

On June 28, 2007, Unit 3’s generator failed because of a detached blade of the hydrogen-cooling ventilator, causing cracks in the primary water system’s hoses. Plant officials said as of October 10, 2007 that Alstom Power specialists will start revisions and repairs on the turbine’s 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 plant’s maintenance division will undertake 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. 5’s transformer 5BT02 is being repaired. The plant’s engineers expect to have both units back online by May 2008.

Compañía Anónima de Administración y Fomento Eléctrico’s (Cadafe) Planta Centro is Venezuela’s largest thermal generating plant connected to Venezuela’s power grid, with five generating units that burn natural gas and fuel oil. Venezuela’s power-generation system is made up of eight private and five state-owned utilities. About 95% of Venezuela’s population is served by the National Interconnected System. During the last few months, Venezuela’s unfavorable weather conditions have made things difficult for the country’s power grid. Record high temperatures, electrical storms and heavy rains have caused major flaws to Venezuela’s power system. Line contamination, low- and high-tension line dilatation, frequent power outages and electrical arcs are among some of the consequences of Venezuela’s adverse weather conditions that have affected the country’s interconnected power system.

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