When the Towers were built, the generators in power plant, designed to burn either oil or natural gas, were nearly unique. “Only eight of those units were ever built and we had six of them,” Kotowski recounted. “The three units we’re keeping are the only ones still in operation.” That fact was a primary consideration in the decision to “mothball” two of the 165,000 pound machines being retired, holding them as a source for parts at a facility in Deer Park, Long Island. The wisdom of the decision was proved almost immediately. “They were so heavy that one of the trucks removing them broke down before it left the property,” Kotowski recalled. “While they were waiting for the truck to be repaired, a part broke on one of the old units. We were able to get it right there in the driveway.” Despite a rugged winter, work is progressing with little or no adverse impact on residents. “We have only had a few minor power interruptions of a minute or less,” Kotowski declared, pointing to the two trailer-sized portable generators parked behind the complex. The units are fully wired and ready to fill in for any outage in a matter of seconds. A third unit is available for when demand increases in the spring and other critical phases of the operation will be taking place. “We still have a way to go before the project is completed, but we’re on track to having a reliable plant for another 40 years.” PHOTOS BY GLEN KOTOWSKI, SAL CASTRO AND VICTOR G. MIMONI North Shore Towers Courier n March 2014 11 Residents could go for years without realizing the immense operation going on at the end of an otherwise ordinary hallway deep within the Towers complex. Members of the Capital Improvements Committee (from left), Donald Cohen, Marvin Grossman, Buddy Cutler, Melvin Schweitzer, Claire Levitan and Chairman Herb Cooper are joined by NST Chief Engineer, Sal Castro during a site inspection. Three of the original six generators installed when NST was built will continue to serve the needs of the complex. The new units will soon join the original ones in providing the heartbeat of NST. Close-up of the control screen for the power plant. A forest of pumps, pipes and valves provide residents and businesses with the heating, cooling and water people take for granted, all monitored and controlled from a central location. To keep things flowing requires constant maintenance and NST has a machine shop stocked with thousands of parts and staffed with skilled workers. The fire-control center is just a few feet from the process control console. A heat exchanger that recovers energy from exhaust gasses rises into the darkness in the NST power plant. NST General Manager Glen Kotowski stands before the three state-of-the-art gas generators that will power the complex well into the future. North Shore Towers Chief Engineer Sal Castro Glen Kotowski points with pride to the sophisticate monitoring system that is part of the brains of the NST power plant. The immense power generated to operate the complex is made usable and controlled through a series of switching and networking equipment connected by miles of wiring, being installed, calibrated and checked by skilled technicians. Access to such critical areas is strictly monitored.
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