The power plant at La Brea, Trinidad, is a modern combined-cycle plant consisting of six General Electric gas turbine-driven generators and two steam turbine-driven generators. The gas turbines are rated for a combined output of 450 MW, the waste heat from which is utilised by six Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) to produce steam. The steam produced by this waste heat is then used to power the two General Electric steam turbine-driven generators. These generators produce an additional 270 MW of power without the use of any additional fuel. This process makes Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) the most efficient power producer on the island.
TGU is an integrated combined-cycle facility commissioned in two phases — commissioning of the simple-cycle portion consisting of the six gas turbines, followed by the commissioning of the combined-cycle facility, comprising the steam turbines and associated equipment. The facility comprises two ‘trains’ in a ‘three on one’ configuration with three GE 7EA gas turbine generating units, each producing 75 MW, with HRSGs and one GE steam turbine, each capable of 150 MW connected via a common steam header, sharing common auxiliaries and with an air-cooled condenser. In total, there are six gas turbines and two steam turbines.
The plant also has a 220 kilovolts (kV) switchyard with three transmission lines, which interconnect with the national grid. The facility also has black start capability via two diesel engine generators. Gas for this facility is supplied by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) from a separate natural gas network. The other power plants are supplied with gas via the Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited (PPGPL) facility at Point Lisas Industrial Estate.