Turbine maintenance, new equipment for power plant coming sooner to avoid shutdowns

By COLLIN GALLANT on October 6, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

The city power plant will move up turbine maintenance and buy new equipment to avoid potential shutdowns in a red hot electricity market after council approved budget changes on Monday night.

“It is a reflection of the stronger generation market and the (increased) run time on our machines,” said Brad Maynes, the utility division’s managing director.

The main amendment is to refurbish a generator at the main plant one year ahead of schedule at a cost of $3.2 million after it clocked about twice as many hours as expected this year to cash in on high export prices this summer.

Another would see the city install a conversion kit at the north-side station, where two LM6000 generators will eventually produce about one-fifth the city’s power from units Nos. 16 and 17.

That conversion equipment, valued at $4 million, would make it easier to swap in a spar engine the city keeps on hand and avoid a lengthy shutdown in case of failure, said Maynes.

“People will ask if it’s under warranty, why have a spare,” said utility committee chair, Coun. Phil Turnbull. “This provides us the insurance we need to be back up and running much faster.”

Maynes said considering the current disruption in the electrical equipment supply chain, its possible to see a lag time of up to one year to order major components.

Both items will paid for out of working capital replenished from operating revenue.

Mid-year financial results from the city’s business units are due at the Oct. 14 meeting of council’s audit committee.