fp Turks and Caicos

PPC Ltd. is powering up its operations, adding capacity while minimizing environmental impact.

The utility welcomed the arrival of the first of two new engines May 5 when a boat arrived at South Dock carrying a 20v32 diesel-generating engine. The second is scheduled to arrive in January.

The engine made the long journey from Finland, where it was manufactured by Wärtsilä Finland OY, a worldwide market leader in diesel engine production.

The engine will tower over current ones at twice the size of PPC’s current largest engine. This new technology will bring PPC’s installed capacity to a 71 megawatts.

In addition, PPC says the new engine will boost its operations by increasing fuel efficiency, reducing the per-kilowatt-hour cost of generation maintenance and will improve plant availability through integrated control and monitoring systems.

A special entourage was on hand at the South Dock to view the arrival of the engine, including Ernie Jackson, PPC’s Vice President of Generation and Engineering.

“PPC’s acquisition of the two Wärtsilä Engines represents a paradigm shift in the technology used to produce electricity in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” Jackson said. “Each engine will produce three times the electricity that the largest engine in the current fleet produces, and on a per unit basis will do so using significantly less diesel fuel.”

According to Jackson, these units are designed in modules so that maintenance down times will be significantly less than that required for the current fleet. “These engines use the latest environmental technology developed in Europe to have minimal environmental impact. These engines and their infrastructure represent the largest single investment ever made in the electrical industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands (over $20 million) and signify a long term commitment by Fortis to the islands.”

The engine was transported from South Dock to PPC’s operations on Leeward Highway. The approximately 3½-hour journey caused road closures and for some customers interrupted service.

Due to the size of the load, some low hanging lines had to be taken down as the transport passed in order to avoid contact.

For this reason, the journey could not be made at night, where limited visibility could have caused dangerous mishaps.

Leeward Highway also had to be closed in one direction because the truck transporting the massive engine could not make the turning radius at the Five Cays roundabout and had to travel on the wrong side of the road.