The power plant is maintained to operate at its full capacity.

The power plant is maintained to operate at its full capacity.

The manager of the Giligel Gibe 2 hydropower plant indicated that maintenance work is being conducted to ensure the plant can operate at its maximum capacity.

Mr. Shumet Belachew, the manager of the power plant, stated that corrosion in the nozzles, which are used to control water flow, has prevented the unit four turbine from generating power at its full capacity.

Mr. Shumet Belachew, the manager of the power plant, stated that corrosion in the nozzles, which are used to control water flow, has prevented the unit four turbine from generating power at its full capacity.

The manager indicated that repairs on the damaged nozzle are underway to restore the turbine’s ability to generate power at full capacity.

Currently, the nozzles are being disassembled from the turbine, cleaned, and replaced.

The manager reported that one nozzle has been successfully re-installed on the turbine and another nozzle is ready for re-installation.

The maintenance work will serve to prevent potential damage to the turbine bearings and mitigate other associated issues, he added.

Mr. Shumet highlighted that the repair work entails modifying the serviced and damaged items in the on-site workshop.

To optimize the turbine’s power generation potential, the company’s skilled technicians are meticulously carrying out repair work on the damaged nozzle parts.
This will boost the confidence of experts; foster the development of skilled professionals within the company and also save the company from incurring additional costs and foreign exchange expenditures.

He stated that if the task were to be undertaken by external experts, the company would incur a cost exceeding 25 million birr.

Misgana Dechasa and Fantahun Eskeziya, experts at the power plant, indicated that sediment and gravel entering the turbine along with water could cause damage to the nozzle parts.

They observed that the issue with the nozzles necessitated manual operation of the turbine control system, which in turn required additional manpower and time to bring the turbine back online when it was out of operation.

The maintenance work aims to increase the generating capacity of the unit, balance the water entering the turbine, resolve issues related to water usage and control systems, and reduce the downtime required to bring the turbine back into operation.

Maintenance activities commenced on May 20 and involve the participation of various power plant and generation operation experts, including those from the power plant itself. The maintenance work is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

The Gibe 2 power plant, which began operating in 2010, is equipped with four turbines, each boasting a generating capacity of 105 megawatts.