University of the East – Caloocan

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Combustion Engineering
Power Barge
“Wärtsilä” 71.4 MW Diesel Engine

Submitted To:
Eng’r. Diosdado Doctor

Submitted By:
Ambor, Jabber R.
2014 114 2805

NME 426 – 1ME

March 24, 2018

 Chapter I
Introduction
Power plants have been generating electricity since 1870 later on
engineers have designed and built a re-locating power plant which is
called Power Barge. Power Barges have been generating electricity since
1940’s with the initiation of the idea by GE “General Electric”. Power
barges can also be permanently installed to land and will operate similarly
to a land power plant for the same duration.

Power barges are popular for their short development cycles, adaptability
in deployment, negligible land prerequisites and unique maritime
financing. Power Barges use gas turbines. diesel and steam plants for
power generation. The capital cost of building and operating power barge
is very competitive with their land-based equivalents.

Source: Power Plant Programme (2014) MAN

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 Power barge deployment to the location of operation can be by wet
tow, when the barge is floating freely and being pulled by a larger vessel
or a tugged boat or conveyed on/in a specially build ocean ship.

Types of Operating Environment

1. Floating Static – Where there is a continuous demand of power
supply, the barge will be permanently located at one site.

Barges can be permanently moored alongside wharf, jetties,

quays and while still being a floating vessel will not move from
this location. Such Barges are therefore exposed to wave
movement and potential impact from other vessels.

Mooring Arrangement

2. Floating special Mooring - In some instances special moorings

have been created where the floating barge is protected from
passing traffic. The site is dredged to create a mooring off a river.
Another example of a special mooring is where a permanent “wet
berth” is created with a lock gate enabling the power barge to be
floated into the mooring and then the water level maintained to

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 protect the barge form fluctuations in river level. This also
provides protection from impact from other vessels.
3. Grounded – For stable operating environment and to eliminate
the exposure of the barge to any danger, a dock is excavated, the
barge is floated in and then sealed off from the water course,
water is pumped out and the dock is filled to create a permanent
land based generating station. This is now operating as a land-
based power plant.
4. Moved about barges - Barges can provide the temporary power
supply when land based generating plants undergo major overall
for maintenance. Barges used in these circumstances are then
moved from site to site to cover for stations which are out of
commission. In some instances, barges are used to supply power
where short term power is needed to overcome temporary
shortages. In these circumstances the facility will have a power
purchase agreement probably of less than ten years duration.

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 Chapter 2
Air Compression