June 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
26
On 12 October 2011, Barloworld
Power won the bid to refurbish
St Helena Island’s diesel
generator power station for
a contract value of around
R49-million.
projects & contracts
A BRITISH OVERSEAS
Territory with a rich
maritime history, St Helena is located in a
remote part of the South Atlantic Ocean
and has depended for decades on its diesel
generators for its electricity supply.
The island’s contact with the outside
world is also presently reliant on the RMS
St Helena mail ship, which sails every month
between the island and Cape Town, some
3 200 kmdistant, carrying cargo and passen-
gers. In the near future, however, the island’s
first airport, now under construction, will
open up new travel routes and opportunities.
On St Helena, Barloworld Power’s project
scope included the supply and commis-
sioning of:
• Four new Cat generating sets, replacing
the older equipment. These comprise
three Cat 3516B generators running
continuous power and a smaller Cat
3508B for lighter loads;
• New medium voltage (MV) switchgear;
• A new and modernised SCADA and
control system designed to lighten the
workload of the plant operators and to
integrate a small wind farm and
sub-station; and
• New cable works, fuel system, bulk tanks
and all ancillary systems to support the
new engines.
The total system was designed and built by
Barloworld Power in Boksburg with all major
MVpanels sourced fromSouthAfrican suppli-
ers. (Barloworld Power is the Cat and Perkins
power systems dealer for Southern Africa.)
In accordance with the contract, a full
factory acceptance test (FAT) was carried out
prior to shipping.
On 31 August 2012, the first Cat unit was
delivered to site. By this stage, the major-
ity of the old equipment had already been
removed from the power house in prepara-
Island power
tion for the new arrivals. The Barloworld
Power installation was divided into several
phases, each one with a critical timeline.
The first phase was to prepare and
install the first generator as a temporary
installation to provide power to the island
while the station was being refurbished.
This temporary installed generator was com-
missioned and running on 23 September
and until the end of November performed
superbly. The new power station came on
line on 30 November 2012.
Installation of the final generator was
completed and the facility handed over
with minor works that still needed to be
completed in February 2013. Overall project
finalisation was scheduled for April 2013.
This remote power station will now be
supported by Barloworld Power’s teambased
in Cape Town.
●
An interior view showing the new Cat 3516B units.
St Helena’s diesel generator power station.
