NewsWhore
09-04-2009, 07:20 PM
The general blackout on Wednesday at 6:03pm began with a breaker at a sub-station that interconnected with AES Andres, but it is still not known if it was an accident, negligence or poor handling of an operator. Sabotage is also being investigated, according to Francisco Mendez, the superintendent of electricity.
Sources in the electric sector said that 10 persons have been detained, according to Diario Libre.
Mendez explained how the blackout happened: At first, it was thought that it had been AES that went off line, but the first to do so was Cogentrix with its units 1, 2 and 3, in San Pedro de Macoris, followed by AES Andres. With the loss of energy, things accelerated and they went off line and the San Felipe in Puerto Plata went off line, too.
As reported in Diario Libre, Mendez explained that these units were 35% of the magawatts that were on line at that moment, and with their loss, the system in the North and South became unbalanced with the drop in frequency and subsequently of voltage, causing a total collapse and the general blackout occurred.
Mendez said that "we are well aware that when one plant or another goes off line there should not be a cascade effect such as happened," and therefore he ordered contingency measures to be put into effect. He mentioned that San Felipe has committed to recalibrate their frequency relays that they had unilaterally modified, and this will give greater flexibility to the operation of that plant that does not have to be impacted when others go off line.
Another decision that was taken was to readjust the protection of the 24-hour circuits that they have isolated.
AES Dominicana reported yesterday that at the moment of the general blackout it was supplying 474 megawatts to the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI) and that its units tried to regulate the frequency to avoid the total collapse of the system. The company rejected that their Andres plant located in Boca Chica triggered Wednesday's event. The operation records show that the failure that caused the blackout happened in the high tension line of 138,000 volts between Boca Chica and Punta Caucedo.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
Sources in the electric sector said that 10 persons have been detained, according to Diario Libre.
Mendez explained how the blackout happened: At first, it was thought that it had been AES that went off line, but the first to do so was Cogentrix with its units 1, 2 and 3, in San Pedro de Macoris, followed by AES Andres. With the loss of energy, things accelerated and they went off line and the San Felipe in Puerto Plata went off line, too.
As reported in Diario Libre, Mendez explained that these units were 35% of the magawatts that were on line at that moment, and with their loss, the system in the North and South became unbalanced with the drop in frequency and subsequently of voltage, causing a total collapse and the general blackout occurred.
Mendez said that "we are well aware that when one plant or another goes off line there should not be a cascade effect such as happened," and therefore he ordered contingency measures to be put into effect. He mentioned that San Felipe has committed to recalibrate their frequency relays that they had unilaterally modified, and this will give greater flexibility to the operation of that plant that does not have to be impacted when others go off line.
Another decision that was taken was to readjust the protection of the 24-hour circuits that they have isolated.
AES Dominicana reported yesterday that at the moment of the general blackout it was supplying 474 megawatts to the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI) and that its units tried to regulate the frequency to avoid the total collapse of the system. The company rejected that their Andres plant located in Boca Chica triggered Wednesday's event. The operation records show that the failure that caused the blackout happened in the high tension line of 138,000 volts between Boca Chica and Punta Caucedo.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)