TOWANTIC ENERGY CENTER
Project Features:
The Towantic Energy Center is equipped with two General Electric 7HA.01 combustion turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), and one steam turbine generator. After installing extensive temporary underground power distribution centers used to construct the facility, we installed the remaining underground systems including a massive grounding grid system and the duct banks for the power distribution, instrumentation, and communications systems.
Above ground work involved miles of cable tray, feeders, instrumentation wiring, communications to the ACHX cooling system, and the ACC cooling tower system. This consisted of (30) 400A dual-speed motors, the isolated-phase bus from the turbines to the main switches, all medium voltage cabling and terminations, all of the on-turbine feeds and instrumentation including fusion-spliced fiber optics, fuel oil skids, gas compressors feeders and instrumentation to the STG and auxiliary boiler. We installed feeders and instrumentation to and from the two Heat Recovery Steam Generators. Finally, we assisted in the startup and commissioning of the plant.
Project Challenges:
- The above-ground scope was awarded well after the original start date, but with skilled planning and aggressive manpower (146 electricians in total) working two 12-hr shifts, the project was back on schedule.
- When construction of the HRSGs fell more than two months behind, we quickly diverted manpower and attacked the HRSGs with multiple crews to keep the project on schedule.
- Given the long hours as well as the nature of the work, we remained especially vigilant ensuring that our safety programs and policies were continually followed and enforced, and staffed the project with three dedicated safety specialists.