Three Genesal Energy gensets for a combined cycle power plant in Mozambique

A step forward in Mozambique’s energy development

The Temane Combined Cycle Power Plant, located in Inhambane, is a vital energy infrastructure in Mozambique. Genesal Energy has provided the necessary equipment for emergency power supply to secure its operation. It represents a step forward in Mozambique’s energy development, providing an efficient, reliable and cleaner source of energy, while boosting economic growth and employment in the region.

Combined cycle power plants are known for its high energy efficiency, which can reach 60% compared to conventional plants. What they do is combine two thermodynamic cycles: a gas turbine cycle and a steam turbine cycle. This technology allows for higher efficiency in electricity production and lower pollutant emissions compared to traditional plants.

Located in an area with significant natural gas reserves, it produces 450 MW that will supply power for 25 years and will serve as a beacon for the construction of almost 600 km of high voltage transmission lines across the country meeting the demand of 1.5 million households. It will also enable infrastructure development and industrial growth in Mozambique.

Genesal Energy engineering team designed and installed three 2,450 kVA soundproofed generator sets in 40′ HC containers. These sets will be connected in parallel to a common busbar, synchronising between them and with the grid during restoration of supply.

A tailor-made solution

Inside the container, all the systems were integrated for optimum operation of the equipment. A completely customised base frame was made for the required engine-alternator set, fitted with silent blocks to dampen vibrations and prevent them from being transmitted to the rest of the machine.

The Temane power plant needed generator sets that could operate both as emergency groups supplying the loads required during a plant shutdown and in Black Start mode, in which the groups will be capable of supplying the loads necessary to start up the turbines.

In terms of design, each of the generator sets has a control room, a fuel tank room and an engine room. Also, auxiliary systems such as engine heating – to guarantee an optimum starting temperature-, anti-condensation resistances in the alternators, lights and sockets in the different rooms, manual and automatic fuel transfer control systems…
Due to the high temperatures in the area, an air conditioning system has been fitted for the control room and extractors for the rest of the rooms. Considering the strong winds, plates and anchor bolts for fixing the containers were manufactured and supplied. Eventually, attenuators – both exhaust and cooling air – to reduce engine noise levels were fitted.

To increase reliability and safety, the machines are equipped with a fire detection and extinguishing system; an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for critical services; battery chargers and redundant battery banks that guarantee the start-up of the generator set in any event. The entire communications network between Generator Sets, Master Panel and Combined Cycle Power Plant is fibre optic.

Features

• 40’HC container with independent rooms for genset, tank and control panel.
• 4000 litre double-walled (steel-steel) fuel tank installed inside the container.
• Automatic fuel transfer system from mother tank.
• Fire detection and extinguishing systems in the engine-alternator and tank rooms. NFPA switchboard.
• Air conditioning in control room.
• Forced ventilation with air extractors in the engine-alternator and fuel tank rooms, with PT100 probes to guarantee that the internal temperature does not rise more than 5ºC above the external temperature. Hygrostat for humidity control.
• Plates and anchor bolts for container.
• AGM type batteries.
• Engine equipped with: low coolant level sensor (digital), oil temperature and pressure sensors (analogue).
• Alternator equipped with: transformers, anti-condensation resistor, PT100 probes in alternator bearings (2 per bearing) and windings.
• Neutral earthing resistor (NGR).
• Separate master panel with Siemens S71200 PLC multimode fibre communication. Optical fibre in group.
• Control panel equipped with:
  • 87G protection relay.
  • Ethernet RJ45 card for modbus TCP/IP communication.
  • ComAp Inteligen BaseBox and ComAp Intelivision 5.
  • IEC61850 communication protocol.
  • OM2 LC Duplex multimode canbus to fibre optic OM2 LC Duplex Converters.