Pre-startup preparations and testing of sub-systems are now taking place throughout the new factory at the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project while key staff are working fulltime in order to become acquainted with their new responsibilities.
All major plant and equipment have been installed as finishing work continues throughout the factory on pipelines, electrical distribution, drainage access ways, lighting and civil works, a Guysuco press release stated.
The current priority is on the boilers and steam turbines as this plant will be the first required. The boilers have been dried out in readiness for chemical cleaning and then steam will be raised to blow out the steam lines to the turbines.
The oil combustion systems are also being made ready for operation as well as the automatic control systems before testing and final configuration.
These activities, the release said, will culminate with the testing of the whole factory as an integrated unit after which it will be taken over by Guysuco for commercial operation.
Meantime, training is in progress with the contractor and various suppliers conducting classroom and in-plant training.
And the diesel generation plant continues to supply a base load of around 4 MW to the national grid and the power station operating teams have settled into routine operations, the release added.
