Power supply

Gas Turbines

North Pole Combined Cycle (NPCC) forced outage rate (FOR) for 2022 was 1.9%. Achieving low FOR’s like this are a direct result of a dedicated and skilled workforce.

Zehnder Unit 2’s load gear, which is responsible for reducing the turbine speed from 5100rpm to 3600rpm (synchronous speed) was completely overhauled in house with GVEA Power Supply employees.

Two of GVEA’s five 50,000-gallon diesel fuel tanks (turbine supply) were internally inspected and repaired.

Generator electrical testing performed on the Delta gas turbine generator.

Two new 125-volt battery banks and chargers were installed within GVEA’s plants. One installed by the in-house electrical group, the second installed by an external contract group.

Upgraded pressure safety valves (PSV) were installed on GVEA’s light straight run pressure vessel at NPCC. This project was carried out by in-house employees, an external petroleum engineer and an external mechanical engineer who specializes in pressure vessel construction and operation.

An emergency diesel generator was installed at the Delta Power Plant to improve its black start capability. This EDG generation was spec’d out by the electric and installed as a joint effort between the plant operator mechanics and plant electricians.

Safety handrails were installed on top of both Zehnder Frame 5 gas turbine packages. The addition of these handrails allows the operator mechanics to safely access the turbine package roofs without the need for fall protection.

Round three of four Machine Shop Training was completed for the Operator Mechanic group. The benefits of this training are twofold: First, it allows this department to continue to perform this major maintenance in-house, which significantly improves unit reliability and reduces costs. Second, it supports employee development, which is how great teams are built.