Snags may shut Kaligandaki: NEA
PRAGATI SHAHI
KATHMANDU, Dec 21 - Unless the urgent mechanical problems faced by the 144 MW Kaligandaki 'A' hydropower plant are addressed by the government at the earliest, the country's largest hydropower plant will cease to function at any moment, said officials from the maintenance and repair department of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Saturday.
Among the three Francis turbines installed in the powerhouse, turbine 1 and turbine 3 are showing problems during operation, and the monitor placed inside the control room fails to update critical data, said an official who preferred anonymity. Each of the three Francis turbines carries capacity of 48 MW. Dr Jivendra Jha, director-general of the civil and planning department of NEA, said the powerhouse has the capabilities to perform automatic update, however there are software problems that must be fixed.
"Earlier, there were frequent problems with updating and sharing the data between the Programmable Logic Controller and the computer monitor and the technicians used to download the data manually," he said. "However, the problem is now serious, and there is a chance of complete blackout due to lack of maintenance and update of programmes." Each turbine in the powerhouse is overhauled by NEA every three years. "Though there are some problems caused by siltation and friction, the turbines at the Kaligandaki 'A' are generating power," he said. Jujukaji Ranjit, project manager at Kaligandaki 'A,' said the plant generates about 110 MW of energy at peak hour in the evening, while it generates 60 to 65 MW at other times.
It can produce 144 MW for about 5 to 6 hours, if the water in the powerhouse is stored for a full day. According to Ranjit, the equipment used in the powerhouse is manufactured by a French company and should be updated yearly, and new software should be installed, which has not been done because Nepali technicians cannot do it and there are financial constraints to invite French ones. "We had submitted a maintenance proposal, including the technical and financial aspect, to higher authorities five months ago," he said. The proposal requests import of the French technical group for repair and updates, the purchase of spare parts and sending NEA officials to France for training, said Ranjit.
Jha said the request to send NEA officials to France for technical training is currently being processed by NEA. According to Ranjit, there is also lack of spare machinery parts in the storehouse, and it needs approximately Rs 10.80 million to purchase the needed spare parts.
As the NEA is facing a serious power shortage of 400 MW daily, the shutdown of the country's biggest hydropower project due to mechanical failure, would likely worsen the condition of the power crisis.
Source: The Kathmnadu Post, 21 December 2008
KATHMANDU, Dec 21 - Unless the urgent mechanical problems faced by the 144 MW Kaligandaki 'A' hydropower plant are addressed by the government at the earliest, the country's largest hydropower plant will cease to function at any moment, said officials from the maintenance and repair department of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Saturday.
Among the three Francis turbines installed in the powerhouse, turbine 1 and turbine 3 are showing problems during operation, and the monitor placed inside the control room fails to update critical data, said an official who preferred anonymity. Each of the three Francis turbines carries capacity of 48 MW. Dr Jivendra Jha, director-general of the civil and planning department of NEA, said the powerhouse has the capabilities to perform automatic update, however there are software problems that must be fixed.
"Earlier, there were frequent problems with updating and sharing the data between the Programmable Logic Controller and the computer monitor and the technicians used to download the data manually," he said. "However, the problem is now serious, and there is a chance of complete blackout due to lack of maintenance and update of programmes." Each turbine in the powerhouse is overhauled by NEA every three years. "Though there are some problems caused by siltation and friction, the turbines at the Kaligandaki 'A' are generating power," he said. Jujukaji Ranjit, project manager at Kaligandaki 'A,' said the plant generates about 110 MW of energy at peak hour in the evening, while it generates 60 to 65 MW at other times.
It can produce 144 MW for about 5 to 6 hours, if the water in the powerhouse is stored for a full day. According to Ranjit, the equipment used in the powerhouse is manufactured by a French company and should be updated yearly, and new software should be installed, which has not been done because Nepali technicians cannot do it and there are financial constraints to invite French ones. "We had submitted a maintenance proposal, including the technical and financial aspect, to higher authorities five months ago," he said. The proposal requests import of the French technical group for repair and updates, the purchase of spare parts and sending NEA officials to France for training, said Ranjit.
Jha said the request to send NEA officials to France for technical training is currently being processed by NEA. According to Ranjit, there is also lack of spare machinery parts in the storehouse, and it needs approximately Rs 10.80 million to purchase the needed spare parts.
As the NEA is facing a serious power shortage of 400 MW daily, the shutdown of the country's biggest hydropower project due to mechanical failure, would likely worsen the condition of the power crisis.
Source: The Kathmnadu Post, 21 December 2008
