Issues at Skeldon are not difficult to address

Dear Editor,
I refer to the article “US0M Skeldon Factory falling to pieces – GuySuCo” and wish to make the following comments:
1. As a follow-up on the closure of Wales, GuySuCo is now building a case to sell Skeldon for a few dollars or simply end sugar in Skeldon. The company is using the findings of an audit by an “international firm” to justify or give credence to its decision as it tries to sell its divestment proposal to the public.
2. It is astonishing to learn of a proposal to sell Skeldon at a time when performance has been improving steadily since it was commissioned. Additionally, Skeldon is delivering its best performances at a time when the chairman is saying that the factory is on a verge of collapse. Certainly, the present performance and the chairman’s assessment do not corroborate. See table below for Skeldon’s individual performance and its contribution to industry production.
3. In GuySuCo’s 2015 annual report, the company boasted that Skeldon achieved its highest cane crushing rate of 260 t/hr and highest sugar recovery of 75.24 per cent since its commission. Why sell a plant when it is beginning to give better performances? In fact, how can a factory that is falling apart deliver such performances?
4. Any sugar factory in operating mode will have deteriorating equipment and must therefore have a robust maintenance programme. The condition of equipment at Skeldon, as described by auditors, is as a result of a limited maintenance programme in place. The auditors alluded to the fact that lack of spares prevented crucial repairs in certain aspects.
5. On the issues pointed out in the audit, the following should be noted:
* Insulation missing on plant’s diffuser: This is probably a case where the insulation material on the diffuser body was removed to conduct routine repair works and was never replaced by the factory’s maintenance team. Is this justification to sell an entire factory?
* Frequency converter on boiler feeder motors missing: This is a unit that control motor speeds. These units are easily replaceable. Is this justification to sell an entire factory?
* Conveyor feeder junction box and connection in bad condition: There is indication that these components are not routinely maintained by operating staff. Should we sell a factory because of this?
* Exhaust gas leakages occur due to wrong furnace pressure: Furnace pressure is a condition that is managed by air being forced into and air that is extracted from furnaces. Therefore, any leak in the system affects furnace pressure. If a furnace is not sealed properly, or air heaters have leaks, furnace pressure will fluctuate. The boiler station in any factory often goes through significant stresses due to very high temperatures, variations in temperature and variation in quality of fuel. Undue stresses will cause material and equipment failures. If a steady state of boilers through continuous operations is not maintained, frequency of failures will be greater. The obvious result is the need to have a massive routine maintenance programme.
* Oil burners were demolished and pose a fire hazard: Oil burners are equipment that burn alternative fuel (heavy fuel oil) in furnaces to maintain steam production when bagasse fuel is unavailable. Depending on burner usage and maintenance, burners have a life span. If usage is high and maintenance is low, burners will deteriorate quickly. This is more than likely the situation with these units at Skeldon. Typically, factories replace burners as required.
* Insulators for boilers pose a health risk: If insulation is removed to conduct maintenance and repair works and not properly replaced or secured, it will pose a health risk. This a simple factory management issue. Should we sell a factory because of this?
* Boiler platform corroded: Where steel is allowed to be exposed to high temperatures and moisture, corrosion will occur. Insulation and prevention of moisture contact is key to controlling corrosion.
* Furnace wall tube needs replacement and superheat tubes were damaged: It will not take much to damage boiler tubes. Poor quality boiler water, erratic operations and high ash in cane are major factors that contribute to tube damage. The issue of tube damage at Skeldon is more than likely caused by operations and not by design or quality.
The chairman claims that the factory was badly designed and poorly constructed. He needs to talk with his current CEO of GuySuCo, Errol Hanoman, since he was the Regional Director for the company that designed and managed the construction of Skeldon.
The issues highlighted at Skeldon are in no way difficult to be addressed. The chairman seems to be focused on the effect of problems rather than addressing causes or maybe there is just a lack of “know-how” of what to do, hence position to sell.
GuySuCo needs to reveal to the public, the name of the “international firm” that conducted the audit at Skeldon and its relationship with power generation in Guyana.

Yours sincerely,
Fredrick Yuvraj