As one of the largest ports in Brazil, the Port of Pecém sees 60% of the products exported from the Ceará region flow through its waters. In order to help power the electrical infrastructure required to operate, the port relies on an onsite power system from Cummins Power Generation for both peaking and standby power. The power generation equipment provides peaking energy to save money on electric bills as well as backup power should there be a utility outage due to unreliable power supply, terrorism, or a natural disaster.

Reliable Power
Located on the Atlantic Ocean, near the city of Fortaleza, the Port of Pecém is primarily used for the export of shipping containers to Europe and the US. The main products exported are steel and fruits, with an additional pier for loading and unloading petroleum derivatives.

The Port's onsite system consists of three 1750GQPB lean-burn natural gas generators with a total capacty of 5,25MW.

In 2004 the Port of Pecém loaded and unloaded almost one million tons of cargo, a 35% increase over 2003. With further expansion expected, the port needed to find a way to effectively and economically meet its power demands.

“In Brazil, the power isn’t always very reliable. There are often random power outages that can seriously interrupt international shipping,” explained Marcilio Rocha, coordinator of the secretary of infrastructure of the state of Ceará. With that in mind, Rocha contacted Distribuidora Cummins Diesel Nordeste (DCDN) about finding a reliable power alternative. “DCDN and Cummins Power Generation worked together to install a system that has significantly improved the reliability of electricity supply to the port,” said Rocha.

The port’s onsite system consists of three 1750GQPB lean-burn natural gas generators with a total generating capacity of 5.25MW. The load on the generators varies depending on the level of activity of the port; however, it currently rarely exceeds 2 MW. “We use the generators to provide electricity for all the equipment at the port. By far the largest load on the generators comes from the refrigeration for all the fruit, but we have the ability to power the entire load of the port should the situation arise,” explained Rocha.

In addition to the three gas generator sets, Cummins Power Generation installed a “black start” diesel generator set with the ability to start and run even when there is no outside power available. Additional Cummins Power Generation equipment at the Port of Pecém includes a DMC300 digital master control for controlling the power plant, transformers, and automatic transfer switches.

A Cheaper Source Of Power
In addition to providing reliable power, the generator sets installed by Cummins Power Generation help lower operational costs by reducing the Port of Pecém’s dependency on the local utility during certain times of the day. The lean-burn gas generator sets run at peak times, Monday through Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Power is very expensive in Brazil at those times,” said Rocha. “The electricity produced with the generator sets costs about one-third of the local utility power.”

Changes From 9/11
As a result of the terrorist attacks in the US on Sept. 11, 2001, all major ports around the world must be able to supply their own electricity to operate loading equipment and other machinery and to be independent from the local utility in event of a crisis. The new law, known as the International Code for Protection of Ships and Port Installations (ISPS Code), was issued by the Brazilian State Commission of Public Security for the Ports, Terminals and Navigable Waterways (CESPORTOS).

The gensets help lower operational costs by reducing the port's dependency on the local utility during certain times of the day.

The goal of the ISPS code is to guarantee secure control of products for the navigable waterways, as well as the access of people, machines and equipment to enter and exit. To date, 162 countries are signatory to the ISPS Code.

On June 17, 2005, officials from CESPORTOS unanimously approved the Port of Pecém for compliance with the ISPC Code.

“The capacity of the generator sets from Cummins Power Generation is more than is needed to be in compliance with the ISPS Code,” said Rocha. With the favorable ruling, the Port of Pecém became the first port in Brazil to receive certification.

“We have been nothing but impressed with the way the generator sets from Cummins Power Generation have preformed,” said Rocha. “More generators will be needed as the port continues to expand. When the expansion is complete in two years, five more generator sets will be added, bringing the total generating capacity to 14 MW.”

The additional generator sets will continue to reduce operating costs for the expanding Port of Pecém by providing cheaper and more reliable power during peak hours as well as ensuring the port remains in operation in the event of terrorism or a natural disaster.

ROBERT E. SHELDON is director for Creative Communications Consultants Inc.

DE - July/August 2006