MANAGING A MAJOR OIL LEAK ON A 30 MW STEAM TURBINE AT CAPE BYRON POWER'S CONDONG COGEN PLANT

A 30 MW SIEMENS SST-300 steam turbine generator set at Cape Byron Power, Condong, cogen plant experienced ongoing leakage of lube oil from the rear radial bearing oil seal. Power Generation Services and Resources Pty Ltd (PGSR) were requested to investigate this leak and to provide recommendations. Despite the fact that the root cause of the excessive oil lost was not found, a combination of several measures reduced the leakage of lube oil to a level that was considered a manageable leakage rate by Cape Byron Power for the upcoming crushing season. The paper explains the measures that were taken to manage the oil leakage in order to reduce costs and to address the health and safety/environmental risks. Based on this case the paper also outlines the importance of good communication between service providers and sugar mills for factory asset management and factory efficiency.