Montevideo Power Station (1930)
The contract for the state-owned power station on the River Plate was awarded to Compania General de Obras Publicas S.A., Buenos Aires, who appointed Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Export Co Ltd as main sub-contractors. Work was begun on the station in February, 1930, and the first turbo-alternator was put on commercial load on June 8 1931, only 16 months from commencement of the work. The electrical energy had previously all been supplied by a power station at Arroyo Seco, which had a total capacity of 40,000 kW, distributed 6,000 volts to various stsubstations
Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Export Co of Trafford Park, Manchester, were responsible for the whole of the turbine-alternator sets and all electrical equipment and machinery inside the station, as well as the cablework and switchgear for interconnection with the old plant, and some miscellaneous auxiliary apparatus outside the station. Babcock and Wilcox were sub-contractors to Metropolitan-Vickers for the boiler equipment and the oil-fuel supply station.
The designed economical output of each of the two turbine alternators was 20,000 kw., but the maximum continuous output of 25,000 kw. was provided for, with an overload capacity of 25 per cent., i.e., 31,250 kw., for 2 hours. The designed steam pressure was 500 psi, and the total superheat temperature was 800 deg. F., with exhaust to a vacuum of 28.7 in. at economical load. There was also an emergency house-service geared turbine alternator rated at 750kW.
The eight boilers of the Babcock and Wilcox C.T.M. type had a working pressure of 525 lb. psi at 820 deg. F.
The 200 ft high chimneys, one to each boiler, were of steel, lined with Hy-rib reinforced cement.
Cooling water screens by Richard Mensing, Neustadt an der Haardt.
Four circulating water pumps by Mather and Platt, with Metrovick motors.
The above information is drawn from Engineering 1931/11/13, Engineering 1931/11/27, Engineering 1931/12/18
1932 Fuel consumption tests [1]