LUCELEC liquid nitrogen generator to boost reliability and efficiency

Published on December 8, 2025

St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) has taken a significant step forward in operational innovation with the acquisition of a liquid nitrogen (LN₂) generator.

This investment is set to streamline critical engine maintenance thus enhancing LUCELEC’s supply reliability to its over 70,000 customers across Saint Lucia.

The LUCELEC Cul-de-Sac power station houses ten generation engines. A key part of this servicing process is the engine overhaul, during which liquid nitrogen plays a critical role.

Lincoln Francis, a LUCELEC Trainee Engineer in the Generation Department, says overhauls keep the company’s engines in optimum operating condition and ensure they are always available for use.

“When the engine has operated for 20, 000 hours, we do a major overhaul or servicing of the engine,” he says.

Francis explains, “Our engine parts are designed by the manufacturer in such a way that during an overhaul they need to be cooled so that they shrink and in this smaller form can be replaced safely in the engine.”

Before the purchase of its own liquid nitrogen generator, LUCELEC procured liquid nitrogen from Martinique at an average of 2 to 3 times a year. Not only was the purchase costly, but it also had another drawback, potential losses of liquid nitrogen during shipment