Ram Power provides updates on San Jacinto project in Nicaragua
San Jacinto-Tizate, geothermal power plant, Ram Power/ Polaris Geothermal Nicaragua (source: Ram Power)
Alexander Richter
9 Feb 2013
Ram Power provides updates on the San Jacinto project in Nicaragua announcing Phase I and Phase II expansions running at 65 MW gross. It also announces plans for further drilling to increase additional production in the future.
In a news release, Ram Power reports that it has, “as required by the Phase II loan agreements, conducted a 30-day performance test on the Phase II unit to verify that the plant meets its minimum generation capacity. The Phase II expansion produced a total of 25,676 MWh versus the required 23,688 MWh in order to achieve certification. During the performance test, the plant maintained 99.94% availability, operating at the required 36 MW net output from the Phase II Fuji turbine and exceeding the requirements of the performance test.
Currently, the Phase I and Phase II expansions are running at 65 MW gross (61 MW net), which is in-line with expectations following the commercial operation of the Phase II expansion. The plant will incur an 8-day outage starting February 10, 2013, to install an updated distributed control system for the plant and modify the injection piping to allow for more flexible operation of brine injection.
The Company, along with its resource consultant Sinclair Knight Merz (“SKM”), is currently finalizing drilling plans to increase the available steam to enhance future production. The Company estimates that it will commence drilling in May of 2013 and complete the drilling program by the end of the third quarter 2013. The drilling plans call for the refurbishment and forking of two existing production wells with a targeted increase in the steam availability of approximately 70-110 tonnes/hour, or approximately 9 to 14 MW of additional net capacity. The estimated drilling cost of $6.3 million will be funded from the Project’s major maintenance reserves established under the Phase I and II Credit Facilities.”
Source: Ram Power news
