TGU powers up

TCU supplies electrical power to just over 50 percent of the country. And it is leading the way in conserving natural gas supplies which is on the decline.

The plant’s low consumption of natural gas has allowed the resource, earmarked for electricity generation, to be redirected to other industrial facilities, including those at Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

This was revealed by TGU chairman, David D’andrade during a recent media tour of the sprawling facility at Union Industrial Estate, Vessigny, La Brea.

D’andrade said TGU not only saves the nation approximately 18 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day, but the plant also possesses the capability to also burn alternative fuels to further reduce natural gas consumption.

“There are units that burn twice as much gas to produce a unit of electricity than we do, so it is beneficial for TTEC (Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission) to use the power from this plant than it is to use from others,” he said.

“The plant can burn alternative fuel, so if the government and TTEC and the shareholders agree that they want to use that gas and they want us to burn alternative fuels, then we make arrangements and we equip the plant to do it,” he added.

Trinidad Generation Unlimited is a 720 MegaWatt (MW) combined cycle power plant that is owned by Government and sells its electricity to TTEC.

The combined-cycle power plant has a high degree of operational flexibility in order to cover the fluctuating demand of the power grid, and with six gas turbines and two steam turbines it is able to operate in “open” (without steam turbines) or “combined” (with steam turbines) cycle. In order to fulfil the stringent environmental regulations within TT, an innovative, self-contained air cooling system was constructed which prevents any unnecessary sea water intakes.

At full output, the plant can generate 720 MW of electricity.

D’andrade explained the plant has met the annual 93 percent capacity of electricity, the availability required under the power purchase agreement with TTEC, and has been compliant with all its Certificate of Environmental Clearance, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

He said TGU has not only repaid its ultimate shareholder, the Government, all of the advances incurred as debt for the construction of the power facility totalling US$554 million through a series of short-term loan facilities, but has also paid dividends totalling approximately US$222 million.

He said the facility had been required to have its maintenance, operations and financial model reviewed by an international engineering company, Black and Veatch Management Consulting, which reported that “TGU’s equivalent availability factor has averaged approximately 94 percent from 2012 to 2015, which is higher than the industry average of 88 percent for power plants in the United States region.”

TGU has also received investment grade ratings of BBB as a “first time issuer” of bonds from Standard & Poors and BBB from Fitch for performance and its US$600 million Senior Unsecured 11- year notes (unsecured bond).