Award of Merit Energy/Industrial: Doswell Energy Facility Expansion

Doswell Energy Facility Expansion
Ashland, Va.
Award of Merit

Owner: Doswell Limited Partnership, an Affiliate of LS Power
Lead Design Firm: POWER Engineers Inc.
General Contractor: Primoris Energy Services, Primoris Industrial Division
Subcontractors: K.P. Glass; Baker Hughes (Turbine/Generator Control Systems); C.W. Wright (Transmission Line); United Tank Services (Stack Erection); Berkel and Co. (Auger Cast Pile); W.O. Grubb (Heavy Rigging); North American Substation (Transformer Erection)

The project team says planning and coordination were critical in constructing a new 340-megawatt energy facility at an existing Virginia power station using equipment repurposed from a plant in Florida. Of particular concern was the fact that the 10.5-acre construction site offered limited laydown space.

Custom rigging processes based on analyses of centers of gravity and picking points safely facilitated dismantling components into the largest shippable pieces. That minimized re-installation labor.

An intricate inventory system tracked the status of thousands of equipment components, the team says, including two large gas-fired combustion turbines intended for use during peak demand periods.

The team says that while dismantling equipment and systems is difficult, putting them back together is even harder. A laser scan of the Florida facility mapped the location and condition of existing equipment and systems to guide reassembly.

Delivery schedules were adjusted as necessary, occasionally resulting in shipping components overnight to avoid productivity lapses.

As work progressed, the team says unanticipated repair and replacement requirements demanded increased flexibility and work-arounds for craft and commissioning crews. Despite the 17-month project’s numerous inherent and unexpected complexities, the new facility was activated on schedule in May.