Ken Berry, Project Manager reports from Durban that the Generator Replacement Project has reached its midway point with the new generator sets and associated equipment safely installed onboard and the hole in the side of the ship welded up. The Technical crews are busy reinstalling the existing piping and equipment that had to be temporarily removed to allow the shifting of the new generator sets from the hole in the hull to their proper resting places in the Forward and Aft Generator rooms. New piping systems, racks for the new power cables and new exhaust lines are starting to be installed. The existing Main Switchboard is being upgraded to accept the new generators and includes an up-to-date Power Management System, that will simplify operating the system and provide a more secure power source to critical areas of the ship, especially the hospital.
Another project that has reached its midway point is the installation of the new Main Engine Control System. Literally four miles (6 KM) of signal cabling is currently being installed to connect all the Main Engines to the new control gear located on the Bridge and in the Control Room. The ‘cable pulling’ team is made up primarily of Dutch Electricians and Technicians, who assembled onboard the Africa Mercy to tackle the installation of this extensive system that requires a large range of technical disciplines to successfully install. Other project work is ongoing in the Hospital, galley, pool and other areas around the ship, to make the ship more accommodating for the crew and more effective as a tool of service to our patients while in Field Service.
