Genesal emergency power for Topolobampo III, the combined-cycle power plant which will provide electricity to 2,5 million Mexican citizens

The Topolobampo III combined-cycle power plant, located in the Mexican state of Sinaloa features a special soundproof genset, with a control cabinet integrated inside the container, designed and manufactured in our headquarters in Bergondo (A Coruña).

With an investment of more that 400 million dollars, Topolobampo III is the latest great power generation project in Mexico, a country in which our company has a great presence, and where it has had its own branch office for years. The 767 megawatts (MW) combined-cycle power plant, carried out by the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), is located in the municipality of Ahome, and will provide electricity to more than 2,5 million citizens. The plant will begin operating in 2020.

Due to our strong presence in Mexico and our knowledge of its terrain, the genset designed for Topolobampo III was adapted to the special conditions of this type of combined-cycle power plant, which contains special loads which must be permanently powered for the correct operation of the facilities. For instance, the lubrication pumps or cooling units must always be operational so that, in the event of an emergency such as a power outage, the whole system can be shut down securely. This is precisely the function of the genset we manufactured for the plant.

Made-to-measure

We designed a bespoke genset, soundproofed in a container which was also tailor-made with specific elements (air conditioning, motorized louvers, fans, etc.), manufactured to adapt to the client’s concretes needs.

Furthermore, the automation of the genset allows the necessary integration of the external ATS and the different switches managed by the genset, so that the start-up and stop sequence expected by the client is followed at all times.

Due to space limits, a fuel capacity of 4000L was integrated inside the container through double-walled fuel tanks to guarantee the continuous operation of the genset for over 10 hours at 100% load. The unit is also designed to start up without the need of any type of external voltage, without needing secure voltage for the control circuit.

Main Features

• Exterior build: 40’’ HC container suitable for marine transport 
• Control cabinet integrated inside the container 
• Engine cooling liquid recirculation and heating system, in order to provide the right temperature for genset start-up. 
• Air conditioning system in the genset’s control room. 
• Motorized louvers in the air inlet and outlet. 
• Redundant fans to control the temperature in the engine room.
• C51 container surface treatment according to the ISO 12944 standard.
• Alternator anti-condensation heating. 
• Temperature sensors in the alternator’s windings and bearings. 
• 4000L fuel tank integrated in the container with leakage detection. 
• Management of the genset’s control system and associated systems of the client’s facilities through a controller and touch-screen.