The most recent diesel run for the City and Borough of Wrangell, which lasted from May 28 through June 4, saw a decrease in lubricant oil usage and a total fuel expenditure of just more than $165,000.
This year’s run saw 41,245 gallons of fuel consumed during the weeklong event, producing 516,009-kilowatt hours of power. The peak demand for the run was 3.8 megawatts with an off-hour low of 1.9 megawatts.
The fuel price was $4.001 per gallon for a total fuel expenditure of $165,023.65 and the fuel efficiency was 12.5-kilowatt hours per gallon, giving ratepayers a cost-per-kilowatt of $.319.
“This number is based strictly on gallons of fuel consumed in comparison to kilowatts produced and does not take into account lube oil, labor, or operation and maintenance,” said Borough Manager Tim Rooney.
The lube oil consumption for the run was approximately 30 percent less than last year, with a final tally of 215 gallons of make-up oil added. According to the city electrical department, the decrease is attributed to oil changes and crank case clean outs in all the engines over the last 12 months.
“The old oil was in excess of 10 years old and had reached the end of its expected service life,” Rooney added. “When used oil becomes diluted over time with unburned fuel and contaminants, it makes its way past the piston rings more easily and gets consumed during the combustion cycle of the engine. This is why an engine with fresh oil consumes less.”
Wrangell Light and Power superintendent Clay Hammer was out of the area and could not be reached for comment by the deadline for this story.
Reader Comments(0)