Press Releases

New Orleans, LA - Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) provides updates on repairs to Turbine 5 (T5) and the ongoing testing and commissioning of the Power Complex. 

Turbine 5: Turbine 5 remains out of service with an anticipated return to service in late September.  While there are no damages to the turbine itself, our team is working directly with the manufacturer, GE, to troubleshoot and address issues with the control system. 

Power Complex: 

• Static Frequency Changer 1 (SFC 1), continues to undergo testing to ensure functionality. SFC 1 has successfully operated potable water pumps, drainage pumping, and provided over 20MW of 25-Hz power for an extended period of time. The next major milestone will be a 30 day “reliability test” where we will utilize the equipment in as many real world scenarios as possible, essentially operating SFC 1 as a standard part of our power lineup. 

Additionally, the revised scheduled to be able utilize the remaining equipment per the contractor is provided below:

• SFC 2: November 2025
• SFC 3: December 2025
• Turbine 7 (T7): Testing and commissioning of T7 is scheduled to begin in October.

SWBNO remains committed to bringing the Power Complex online which will reduce our reliability on Turbine 4 and Turbine 5 and ensure we have the necessary power for our drainage and water systems. 

SWBNO will continue to provide updates regarding T5 repairs and Power Complex testing progress. For our full equipment status visit our Pumping and Power Dashboard: swbno.org/Projects/PumpingAndPower.

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