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Guernsey Electricity’s new £15m diesel engine starts its journey to the island tomorrow and is expected to arrive next week.
The medium-speed diesel engine, known as 3D, is exactly the same specification as 2D which was installed at the Power Station in 2012. These machines are the largest ever to be brought ashore.
‘Bringing ashore a 300 ton engine and 75 ton Alternator, which is 18m long, four metres wide and six metres high is logistically very challenging. Once ashore it then needs to be moved along Northside and up the Hougue Jehannet and finally into D station. There is very little room for error and based on the success of 2012, we are following the same plan,’ said asset management director Sally-Ann David.
‘This is an exciting chapter of the project which has actually been years in the planning. Having 2D and 3D is part of a much-wider investment in Guernsey Electricity’s infrastructure to ensure that we fulfil our responsibility to the island to provide a secure and reliable electricity supply. These new engines provide us with an effective back-up to our cable links and can be in operation quickly and are much quieter, more efficient and greener than our older engines.’
Tomorrow morning, the engine and alternator will leave Schiedam in the Netherlands on board The Terra Marique. It is being transported by Mammoet who also delivered 2D. Over the last four weeks, energy company Wartsila, which is responsible for the installation and commission of the 16.8 Megawatt engine, has undertaken preparatory work at the Power Station.
‘We’re using the same trusted partners that we used in 2012 as they know the layout of St Sampson’s Harbour and the route 3D needs to take to be slowly manouevered into the Power Station,’ said Mrs David.
‘We’re expecting The Terra Marique to take three or four days to reach the island depending on the weather and then 3D will be offloaded at Abraham Bosum within 48 hours.’
To allow a crawler crane to be built, the Hougue Jehannet will shut on 30th September and remain closed for three weeks during the initial phase of the engine installation process.
‘We are working closely with the relevant parties to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. There will inevitably be some and we can only apologise for that but I am confident that the benefits to the island significantly outweight the small amount of short-term inconvenience,’ said Mrs David.
Further information on the progress of The Terra Marique will be posted on Guernsey Electricity’s Facebook page and more details on when 3D will be offloaded will be announced on Monday.
