VINLEC takes over new engines at Lowmans Bay Plant

The St. Vincent Electricity Services (VINLEC) has taken over two new MAN diesel engines, each with a capacity of 4.3 megawatts, at its Lowmans Bay Plant operations.{{more}}

The investment in the engines and their auxiliaries represents US$19.5 million and brings the total investment at the plant to US$42 million.

Lowmans Bay is now the country’s main generation power plant and will lead to improved efficiency and reliability of the country’s entire power system.

The development of the Lowmans Bay Power Plant has taken place in two phases. Initially, two engines, each with a capacity of 4.3 megawatts, were installed in 2007 to meet new demands and replace older, less efficient ones. Phase two followed and according to Manager of Engineering, Dr.Vaughn Lewis: “Forward planning determined the need for new engines,” and the requirements for this phase were subsequently developed.

The full takeover of the additional engines means that VINLEC now has four engines at its disposal, though not always in operation. CEO Thornley Myers says that the number of engines in use at any one time is a decision made by the company’s National Energy Dispatch Section at Cane Hall.

The takeover of the new engines is a significant development as the company now has total responsibility for their operation. The project management of this second phase of the development of the Lowmans Bay Power Plant was done by VINLEC Technical Staff, under the direction of Manager Engineering Dr. Vaughn Lewis and Plant Engineer at Lowmans Bay Mark Lulley.

CEO Thornley Myers says this is the first time that such an exercise was done by in-house VINLEC staff and represents the confidence and leadership that the organization has placed in its staff.

The investment at Lowmans Bay is supported by a US$12 million US dollar loan from the ALBA Bank and Petrocaribe-the energy agreement between the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.