Caribbean Engine Upgrade Marks First Step towards Decarbonisation
Conversion of five MAN 48/60 engines to modern MAN 51/60 types will increase fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions at power plant on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Augsburg, March 8, 2023
Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUC) has commissioned MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales brand, to upgrade five power-plant engines. As part of a so-called lifecycle upgrade (LCU), 3 × MAN 12V48/60A and 2 × MAN 14V48/60B engines will be converted to modern MAN 51/60 types. The five gensets power the North Sound Road Power Plant on Grand Cayman and have a total capacity of 64 megawatts.
Completion of the retrofit will bring the five engines, which have already been in operation for more than 80,000 hours, up to the technical standard of a newbuild MAN 51/60, in the process achieving significant reductions in fuel consumption, and CO2 and pollutant emissions.
Richard Hew, CUC’s President and CEO, said: “CUC consistently seeks innovative ways to operate efficiently while providing the lowest possible prices to customers. The lifecycle upgrade will not only make our engines significantly more fuel efficient, but will also enable them to be upgraded for use with low-emission LNG in the future.”
In the future, once the necessary LNG infrastructure is in place on the island, the project will allow CUC to seamlessly transition the power plant from its current diesel-fuel operation to liquefied natural gas. As a result of the lifecycle upgrade, further conversion of the engines to dual-fuel operation will be effortless and flexible as 80% of the required adjustments have already been made. This step will lead to a further reduction in fuel consumption and emissions.
Bernd Siebert, Head of Retrofits & Upgrades at MAN PrimeServ, added: “This lifecycle upgrade is an important investment in the future of the power plant. On the one hand, the engines will once again be as reliable as new engines; while on the other, we are simultaneously preparing the power plant for future operation with climate-neutral fuels such as methanol or synthetic natural gas. This is because the 51/60 engine type will facilitate further conversion to alternative fuels in the next step, thus future-proofing the plant.”
The LCU project will be implemented over a 24-month period, beginning in November 2023. CUC has assembled a cross-functional team of engineers and foreign suppliers that will work closely with MAN PrimeServ.
As part of a so-called lifecycle upgrade, MAN PrimeServ will convert 3 × MAN 12V48/60A and 2 × MAN 14V48/60B engines to modern MAN 51/60 types (pictured).
MAN Energy Solutions enables its customers to achieve sustainable value creation in the transition towards a carbon neutral future. Addressing tomorrow’s challenges within the marine, energy and industrial sectors, we improve efficiency and performance at a systemic level. Leading the way in advanced engineering for more than 250 years, we provide a unique portfolio of technologies. Headquartered in Germany, MAN Energy Solutions employs some 14,000 people at over 120 sites globally. Our after-sales brand, MAN PrimeServ, offers a vast network of service centres to our customers all over the world.