EDITOR, The Tribune
As someone with an electrical engineering background, I found the description of the problems and goings on with the new power generators unbelievable and almost risible if not for all the money being wasted.
First of all it’s amazing, according to your article, BPL didn’t follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the cooling system. I’d love to know what it was.
Secondly Clifton Pier plant sits at the edge of the sea and closed loop coolant systems using salt water have been around for ages so no need to drill all these deep holes. Many of the world’s nuclear power generators are located near shores for this reason. (This can raise other issues, of course, eg Fukushima, but that are not germane to this particular situation).
And even if that, for some reason, were not an option, a modern high efficiency reverse osmosis installation only dedicated to supplying fresh water coolant to the generators would probably have cost a fraction of what BPL will have ended up spending drilling and pumping and filtering - even assuming they can reach an adequate an reliable volume of water, which is questionable.
HUBERT HAUCK
Nassau,
February 23, 2020.
Comments
Bahamianbychoice 4 years, 1 month ago
Interestingly enough...this suggestion sounds very similar to the idea one of the former Engineers at BPL was recommending and working on developing with Shell NA. He advised the drilling of the wells was always problematic. That having funds available gave the availability to organize a proper cleanup, site planning and alternative cooling system for the new plant. The one that would have been at no cost up front to the Bahamian taxpayer.
However, that soon went by the wayside when the MOU with Shell NA was pushed aside and the same Engineer I heard refused to sign revised documents that were not in the best interest of the Bahamian tax payer...had to retire.....and now here we are...broke!!!
themessenger 4 years, 1 month ago
As someone else with a fairly extensive technical background, I agree wholeheartedly with the author. The next question that comes to mind is who is the drilling contractor as they are not exactly thick on the ground here and I can't think of but one or two that would have either the equipment or the expertise to drill and case Wells to those depths and to the specificications required.
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