Cascade General To Build 124 Mw Power Barge For Germany-Based Man B&W

Cascade General has been awarded the contract for construction of a 124 Mw power barge for MAN B&W Diesel AG of Augsburg, Germany. This floating diesel power station will operate in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. The self-contained mobile power generation unit will incorporate seven MAN B&W type 18V 48/60 diesel generators mounted on a deck barge 85.1 meters (279 feet) long and 31.8 meters (104 feet) wide, each diesel engine generating 18,900 kW (25,340 hp).

"This is a large, and in many ways significant project, which shows Cascade GeneralÕs ability to compete in the international market for newbuilds," stated Cascade General Executive Vice President Suren Menon. "It will require a full range of engineering and technical skills and calls for the use of the latest computer-aided modular production techniques. This contract confirms that our modernization and restructuring of work practices at Portland Shipyard has moved us in the right direction. This power barge will keep us busy well into the year 2000," he added.

The seven fully automated generating sets will be housed in an engine hall, which will be prefabricated by Cascade General. A steel deckhouse structure will accommodate control room, offices, workshops, supplies and electrical facilities. Germany-based Siemens will supply all generators, switch-gear and transformers. Crew day quarters, offices and control rooms will be on the upper floor of the deckhouse. Fuel and water tanks are located below decks along with fuel oil separators and pumps. Total fuel capacity will be approximately 264,000 gallons (1,000,000 liters) of heavy fuel oil and 70,000 gallons (265,000 liters) of light fuel oil. The barge will be engineered and prepared for two, parallel cooling systems, giving the operators a choice between saltwater or radiator cooling depending on site conditions.

The barge, with a loaded draft of 11.8 feet (3.6 meters), will be moored to pilings in a sheltered tidal wharf and connected to the shore by vehicle and passenger ramps. While it can be moved by tugs in sheltered waters, the final transport from Portland to Guatemala will be onboard a heavy-lift ship or towable transportation barge.

The overall barge design is by well-known Finnish owned naval architects and marine engineers Kvaerner-Masa Marine, while both Siemens and MAN B&W are based in Germany. All three are world leaders in heavy engineering and will be working closely with Cascade General through the completion of the construction. Portland Shipyard's extensive experience in marine construction includes construction of power-generation modules for Brown & Root and ARCO for the Alaska North Slope oil fields from 1985 to 1990. The power barge construction is expected to create full-time employment for an average of 200 workers in the course of the project.

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Cascade General operates Portland Shipyard, the largest and most complete ship repair and industrial facility on the West Coast of the United States. We provide full-service repairs and conversions for tankers, cruise ships, bulk carriers, container ships, government vessels, tugs, barges and workboats. Cascade General's Portland facility includes a 60-acre (24.2 ha) yard, 550,000 square feet (51,096 square meters) of craft shops, more than 7,600 ft. (2,326 meters) of full-service repair berths, and two floating dry docks.