Turbine Generator Control & Protection System Upgrade

An industrial power plant in Nigeria had been operating with a legacy control and protection system for its two steam turbine generators, TG-01 and TG-02. Originally supplied by Schneider Electric, the control infrastructure had served the plant for years but had progressively fallen behind the demands of modern plant operations, safety standards, and the operational visibility expected by contemporary asset management practices.

The existing turbine generator control and protection systems had become faulty and outdated, creating two critical risks. First, the degraded control systems could no longer reliably manage turbine parameters — speed, load, temperature, and vibration — increasing the probability of unplanned trips and potential equipment damage. Second, the outdated protection logic failed to meet current safety standards, putting both personnel and equipment at risk during abnormal operating conditions.

The plant needed a complete controls modernisation that would bring turbine management up to current international standards while preserving compatibility with the existing Schneider Electric infrastructure where components remained serviceable — balancing modernisation with cost-effectiveness.

MIMAH undertook a comprehensive controls modernisation programme for both TG-01 and TG-02. Our control systems engineers conducted a thorough site audit and inspection, mapping the existing control architecture, identifying integration points with the Schneider Electric systems, and defining the functional specification for the new control and protection platform.

The scope encompassed the full lifecycle: design, procurement, supply, installation, and commissioning. Where existing Schneider Electric panels and instrumentation remained serviceable, they were incorporated into the new architecture to maximise return on the plant's existing investment. New control panels, protection relays, sensors, and cabling were procured to modern specifications. The upgraded design incorporates enhanced protection logic covering overspeed, differential current, loss of excitation, bearing temperature monitoring, and improved fault diagnostics — with provision for future remote monitoring integration.

All materials have been procured and the upgrade programme is actively in progress. Upon completion, the plant will operate a fully modernised turbine generator control and protection system that meets current international standards, provides significantly improved operational visibility, and substantially reduces the risk of unplanned outages.

The integration of existing Schneider Electric components with the new control architecture ensures cost-effectiveness while delivering a step change in reliability, safety, and diagnostics capability — extending the productive life of the plant's steam turbine assets.