One of the keys to a successful business is competence and learning. The Wärtsilä Land and Sea Academy (WLSA) now provides training for the power plant operators of Electricidade De Timor Leste (EDTL) to enable them to manage their plants independently. “In due time all our power plants will be handled by local Timorese experts,” says Mr Latino Jerenimo, Technical Advisor at EDTL.
The national electricity company (EDTL) of Timor Leste runs three Wärtsilä power plants: Hera with seven Wärtsilä 18V46 engines, Betano with eight 18V46 engines and Inur Sakato PP - Oecusse with four Wärtsilä 9L34DF engines. “These plants are vital in ensuring a stable and continuous power production for the entire nation,” says Mr Jerenimo.
Asset management with knowledge transfer
Wärtsilä and EDTL had signed an Asset Management contract in 2015 which included operations & maintenance of the plants. In January 2018 the original scope of that contract was expanded to also include the training of local staff. For the next five years, the WLSA will provide training for local power plant operators (totally 25 sessions), which will include competence assessments at set intervals.
Thanks to the training programme, the operators’ awareness of how to operate the equipment and the principles for maintenance will reach a higher level. “The training that Wärtsilä delivers is very rigorous and of a high standard, which was exactly what we expected, since Wärtsilä is an expert in power plants. So far, some 65 local Timorese operators have been trained, and the sessions have received very high ratings. In particular, the valuable discussions taking place at every training session have been totally worth having. Because of the training, some of the operators have even been promoted to supervisory positions,” says Mr Jerenimo.
Operators reaching their true potential
The Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy (WLSA) has training centres in 9 countries around the globe, which enables the delivery of all aspects of training to suit every kind of organisation. Among other areas, WLSA training covers the management, operation, maintenance, safety, availability, reliability and performance of installations. “For us, sharing the knowledge and competence to operate the plants through a long-term training programme, including on-the-job training, was a perfect solution,” says Mr Jerenimo.
According to Mr Jerenimo, the well-delivered training services will help EDTL to achieve its mission to respond to their clients’ demand for electrical power. “Since our local staff have also performed well, the mission will be guaranteed. As our local Timorese experts will gradually take over the operation and maintenance of the power plants, it will also reduce the costs in the Annual State Budget.”
“I believe that our cooperation with Wärtsilä will continue for a long time. They have great expertise in power plants and are also the OEM manufacturer of the engines. With this increased communication and motivation, the result will be close to perfection,” concludes Mr Jerenimo.
