Siemens carries out 1GW power expansion at three plant in Bolivia

• 4 years ago (2019-10-16)
• David Flin

Gas 371 Latin America 75

---

Siemens has announced that it has expanded the three largest power plants in Bolivia, providing an additional 1GW to the country’s grid.

The power plants are Termoeléctrica del Sur, de Warnes, and Entre Rio, are owned and operated by Ende Andina . The three thermal power plants were already equipped with 13 Siemens gas turbines and associated generators for simple-cycle operation. During the expansion phase, Siemens added 14 SGT-800 gas turbines, 11 SST-400 steam turbines with condensers, 22 steam generators, and the SPPA-T3000 I&C system to the three power plants. In combined cycle mode, the plant efficiency has been increased from 40 per cent to 51 per cent.

The expansion of the Termoeléctrica del Sur plant, in southern Bolivia, near the border with Argentina, increased the plant’s peak capacity from 160MW to 480MW. The Entre Rios plant is located 220km southeast of La Paz, and the inclusion of three new blocks has increased its capacity from 120MW to 480MW. The Warnes plant is located in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz department, and output has been increased from 200MW to 520MW.

The power plant equipment was shipped to Bolivia from three different continents, coming from: Sweden, China, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brazil. The project faced some special challenges in the Andes Mountains.

In addition, Siemens is building a new Service and Training Centre in Warnes, where Bolivian technicians will be trained to maintain, monitor, and repair power plant turbines and other components.