MAN PrimeServ: Caribbean engine upgrade marks first step towards decarbonisation

Caribbean Utilities Company (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.