NEVLEC begins major overhaul of Genset No. 8 at Prospect Power Station

St. Kitts and Nevis: The Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) has begun a scheduled major overhaul of Genset No.8 at the Prospect Power Station on Sunday, August 9. The work is expected to continue through Wednesday, September 2, it is being done to maintain reliability, efficiency and safe operations of the island’s electricity generation system.

The 48,000-hour overhaul was part of NEVLEC’s planned maintenance programme. It was designed to address major maintenance requirements for the generating unit. The company said that it was necessary to support the continued reliability of its generation assets.

The maintenance is being carried out by NEVLEC’s technical team and specialist technicians from Wärtsilä together. The specialist technicians were on Nevis to support the extensive work on Genset No. 8.

Besides servicing the generating unit, the overhaul is also helping NEVLEC’s technical employees to gain practical experience in major generator maintenance.

The company said that the technical personnel are working together with Wärtsilä specialists throughout the exercise. They are able to learn practically about maintenance procedures, inspections, component replacement, testing and other technical aspects of the generating unit.

The company said this would help in strengthening the technical skills of its Generation department and build better internal expertise in the maintenance of its electricity generation equipment.

As Genset No. 8 is being taken out of service, NEVLEC is now relying on its other available generating units and operational arrangements to maintain electricity supply across Nevis.

But the absence of the unit has reduced the system’s generation reserve capacity during the maintenance period.

NEVLEC said that every effort is being made to maintain a constant and stable electricity supply. But the company also cautioned that an unforeseen problem with another generating unit could result in temporary interruptions or load management.

NEVLEC also said that its technical team and the Wärtsilä specialists are working together to complete the overhaul within the scheduled timeframe.

After the required maintenance work is completed, the unit will then be tested and commissioned before being returned to service.

According to the company, this is an important investment in the continued reliability of its generation assets. While it is also helping in enhancing the technical skills of its employees.

NEVLEC also thanked customers and the wider public for their patience and cooperation during the maintenance exercise.

They said that further updates will be provided if there will be any changes to the work schedule.