One of the 97-megawatt (MW) Avion gas-fired power plant’s two turbines has gone offline after its compressor sustained damage.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, plant owner First Gen Corporation said that the damage on the 48.5MW Unit 2 was discovered during a routine inspection.
After carefully reviewing the findings, General Electric (GE) — the turbines’ manufacturer — has advised First Gen that Unit 2 cannot be operated and will require further offsite assessment at a GE service depot abroad to determine the extent of the damage and effect repairs necessary to place the gas turbine back into service.
The Avion power plant houses two units that utilize GE LM6000 PC dual fuel aero-derivative gas turbines/generators. According to GE, the LM6000 aero-derivative gas turbine, with over 1,300 units offering and 40 million operating hours, is a leader in the +40 MW space.
No timeline has been given on when Unit 2 will return online.
Avion’s 48.5MW Unit 1 remains operational.
The incident comes as concerns mount over the stability of power supply in the 2022 elections given that several plants have had prolonged outages the second quarter — the period in which the polls will be held.