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A massive, nearly 100-ton gas turbine generator was delivered to the V.I. Water and Power Authority's Randolph E. Harley Power Plant Friday, where it will be installed as a stopgap measure as other equipment is overhauled.
According to Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr., the 22-megawatt (MW) mobile power plant and water treatment system leased for the next 18 months from General Electric International, Inc. will be installed and operational by the end of May. WAPA's governing board approved the lease at an emergency meeting in February as the most feasible option to expedite a solution to St. Thomas' power issues.
The need is urgent and the permitting process for a temporary unit is a much shorter and less expensive process, Hodge said.
Hodge said that during the period temporary Unit #25 will be in service, engineering teams will be working to complete repairs to Unit#23, a 42 MW gas turbine. That turbine was forced back into operation ahead of schedule after last year's major inspection and overhaul because other units in the plant had limited availability.
Unit #15, a 20 MW gas turbine is currently on an outage schedule in preparation for a planned inspection and overhaul. Hodge said that WAPA will complete those repairs, and perform the needed preventive maintenance on Harley's other generation units, which has been deferred over the years for various reasons beyond the authority's control. Once all repairs are completed, a stricter corrective and preventative maintenance schedule will be implemented and the Harley plant will also have reserve generating capacity, if needed.
The lease agreement is at a cost of $14.6 million. The board agreed that permanently investing in a gas turbine that could cost up to five times more to purchase would be a costly option and not in line with the utility's plan to reduce its use of fuel oil in favor of alternative energy sources, said Hodge.
According to Chief Operating Officer Gregory Rhymer, while the unit was en route from Houston, Texas, plant personnel were preparing the infrastructure including a concrete foundation on which the generator will sit and then be tied into the existing system. The 191,000 pound unit which was off-loaded from the Crown Bay dock this morning by two large cranes, made its way slowly to the power plant on a 75-foot-bed trailer and arrived by early afternoon. Additional trailer containers with auxiliary parts also arrived on the same cargo ship.
"The installation of the temporary generator is the critical step forward in WAPA's short term plan to stabilize the Harley plant and improve service reliability to our customers. We've had our challenges over the last year and nobody could be happier than our hard-working employees that things are about to change for the better," concluded Hodge.
After 11 outages in 3 weeks, I am happy something is being done. Thank you to WAPA crews and staff that help keep the lights on at our antiquated facility.
Come on Senators, this is a stop gap measure. Something has needed to be done to solve our energy crisis for a long time.
What the heck are you doing to solves the issues that is comprehensive and affordable for all VI rate and tax payers? Let me guess, considering how you can fool people into electing you, again?
Twice in the last two weeks, Hugo Hodge Jr. has made reference to the "permitting process". He infers that the process is "long and expensive". Why can't this bureaucratic speed bump be fast-tracked to get critical infrastructure on line immediately? Why is it an "expensive" requirement, and where does the money go? Government paying government to supply basic services. What's hinky about this picture?
Speaking of "permitting processes"
Can anyone enlighten us as to why the permits and fees from WAPA for the installation of solar and wind technology for residential properties takes so long and COSTS SO MUCH?
It's nice that there has been rebate programs for solar panels but you have to be amongst the wealthy to take advantage of them because you have to have the money upfront to pay for all the equipment, the installation plus permits and fees from WAPA, etc.
Plus be able to afford to wait for your rebate money or tax credit.
Very few people have the spare $10,000 - $20,000 MINIMUM these days that it costs to become self sufficient from WAPA.
Until there are programs that offer money, UPFRONT, and at affordaable rates, we are doomed to be at the mercy of WAPA and fuel prices for the emergency genertors we may have. $5 per gallon for diesel?
Ouch!