Essential maintenance work on one of the four slow-speed generators at the Vale power station has been successfully completed. The generator, known as 4C, was originally commissioned in 1987 and has undergone significant refurbishments, including the regrinding of exhaust valves, cleaning and balancing of turbos, and overall engine maintenance.
Jon Sexton, Guernsey Electricity’s head of engineering and design, emphasized that the island’s electricity demand during the summer was met entirely through the import of low-carbon energy from Europe via the sub-sea cable. This importation allowed critical maintenance on the on-island generation equipment to be conducted without disrupting the supply.
“This maintenance ensures we are fully prepared for the autumn and winter months when electricity consumption naturally increases,” Sexton explained. “During these times, the power station plays a crucial role in supplementing our imports. In the longer term, a second sub-sea cable could potentially meet our total energy needs, providing additional capacity and resilience, alongside on-island renewables. However, the power station will continue to serve as an essential backup.”
The C Station within the Vale power station, which houses four slow-speed diesel generators, is vital for providing additional power when demand exceeds the capacity of the sub-sea cable during winter. It also serves as a backup generation source when needed. The recent maintenance included welding repairs on exhausts, upgrades to protection and control systems, overhauls of the diesel generators, and routine upkeep of on-site substations and fuel tanks.
A spokesperson for Guernsey Electricity highlighted that in January, local electricity demand peaked at 94.2 MW, matching the historical maximum set during the lockdown in February 2021. To meet this demand, the Vale power station supplemented an additional 34.2 MW of power on top of the sub-sea cable’s capacity.
This summer’s work is part of an ongoing multi-million pound investment in the power station’s essential generating equipment and the island’s electricity network infrastructure, ensuring a reliable energy supply for the future.
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