Abu Dhabi-based National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Gujarat, India.Under the $316M contract, NMDC will be responsible for the land reclamation activities, and the construction of breakwaters, jetties and associated facilities.The project — part of the company’s plan to expand its operational footprint into Asia — will also include massive dredging and marine infrastructure works. Mobilisation of the equipment to the working site will start in the post-monsoon 2016 period.
US-based CB&I has won a $350M contract for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine power station located in the south-east of the US.Under the contract, the company will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of the 560MW power plant.The facility will use gas turbines capable of operating on a dual-fuel configuration, providing efficiency, reliability, operational and fuel flexibility.CB&I's president of engineering and construction operating group Patrick Mullen said: "CB&I has a long history of providing industry-leading experience in fossil power generation from the early stages of engineering and development, through procurement, fabrication, construction, operation and maintenance."CB&I is proud to help our customer ensure an affordable, reliable and cleaner energy supply for the future while providing the local community with a project that provides local jobs and values environmental stewardship."<iframe src="https://timetric.com/c/66G5DY8/chart/" style="width:500px;height:350px;border:0;" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
US-based regional transmission organisation PJM Interconnection has approved a $636M investment for power transmission projects to enhance the grid and reduce electricity costs in the USA.A total of $320M will be invested in a project to alleviate transmission congestion across the Pennsylvania and Maryland border. The project will include improvements at existing substations, and the construction of two new substations and two new transmission lines, as well as improvements to existing lines. The development — to be built by Transource Energy, Baltimore Gas & Electric and Allegheny Power — is expected to be operational in 2020. PJM president and CEO Andrew Ott said: "This is PJM's largest-ever market efficiency project, and we expect it will resolve a significant amount of the remaining transmission congestion in the eastern portion of PJM."Additionally, PJM has approved a $316.3M for the new or changed projects to maintain the reliability of the regional electric transmission grid.
UK-based construction and project management consultancy Turner & Townsend has been chosen to provide commercial support services for the £4.2bn Thames Tideway Tunnel in London.Under the contract, the company will provide project and programme management resources for the super-sewer project over the next four years.The 25km sewer tunnel — expected to be the second largest infrastructure project in London, after Crossrail — has been designed to reduce the millions of tonnes of raw sewage that overflows into the River Thames each year. Turner & Townsend’s director of infrastructure Peter Depledge said: "We're delighted to be playing a role in ensuring the timely delivery of such a huge and important project which will deliver a positive outcome for Londoners for generations ahead."Thames Tideway chief operating officer Mark Sneesby said: "As we start main construction work on the Thames Tideway Tunnel, we are confident that having the knowledge and expertise of three of the most prominent consultancies will be a huge asset in our work to clean up London's river."Turner & Townsend is one of the three consultants on the project’s framework.
The Hungarian government will have to fulfil two conditions before the European Commission (EC) can give the go-ahead to the Paks nuclear power plant (NPP) expansion project, according to reports in the Hungarian media.The project involves the construction of two new units with capacity of 1,200MW as part of the expansion of the existing Paks plant — which comprises four 500MWe units.The first condition, according to the online business daily Portfolio, is for all issues related to the supervision of the power plant to be ‘clearly separated’ from existing policymaking in the energy sector and the overall system of supervision for powers stations in Hungary. The second condition states that the electricity produced should be sold on a power exchange along market principles, instead of being directly sold to the country’s national grid. This follows the launch of an infringement procedure against Hungary by the EC in November 2015, concerning the project and the award of the construction contract to Russia, and doubts about the country’s financing plans in January 2016.The €12.5bn project will be financed by a €10bn loan from Russia — to be repaid over 21 years. Construction work is expected to commence in 2018 and 2019, with commissioning expected in 2025 and 2026.* This is a version of an article originally published in Nuclear Engineering International
A consortium comprising German company Nukem Technologies and four Bulgarian companies has been awarded a €72M ($80M) contract to build a radioactive waste repository for Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria.The repository — to be located in the 3km “surveillance zone” of the Kpzloduy plant — will have a capacity of 138,000cb m. The first stage of the project will include the development of licensing documents for the facility’s commissioning in accordance with national nuclear legislation.The facility, expected to be operational in 2021, will be filled with radioactive waste over the next 60 years.According to the Bulgaria’s energy minister Nikolay Nikolov, the project will help the process of decommissioning the shutdown units of the nuclear power plant — units 1-4 were closed as a condition of the country’s entry in the European Union. Units 5 and 6 continued in operation and are now being upgraded. * This is a version of an article originally published in Nuclear Engineering International.
ABB has completed the upgrade and refurbishment of the three high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations on the power transmission link that delivers hydropower from Québec, Canada to New England, US.The upgrade of the world’s first multi-terminal link was completed for utilities Hydro-Québec and National Grid. The 1,500km link originally entered service in the early 1990s, and has provided the highly populated areas of Montreal and Boston with hydropower. With a total capacity of 2,000MW, the link can provide enough hydro-electricity for 3.8M people, based on average US household consumption.A critical part of the project has been ensuring minimal power interference and enabling commercial operation to be restored swiftly. As part of this latest upgrade, ABB has replaced the link’s hardware and software with its state-of-the-art MACH control and protection system. This ensures a continued, reliable and highly controllable power supply and enables advanced smart-grid studies for further grid optimisation in a timely manner, the company said.Patrick Fragman, managing director of ABB’s Grid systems business, said: “We pioneered HVDC technology and continue to lead the way through innovation, as with the latest control system being installed for this project. “The upgrade of the world’s first multi-terminal link reinforces ABB’s commitment to supporting customers through the lifecycle, and reiterates our focus on the service business, as part of our Next Level Strategy.”
Andritz Hydro has secured a €140M order from Spanish utility Iberdrola Generación for a new pumped storage hydropower plant in Gouvães, Portugal.Under the contract, the company will design, manufacture, supply and provide installation supervision for the complete electro- and hydro-mechanical equipment, including reversible pump turbines, motor generators and electrical power systems.It will also involve the design, manufacture, supply and complete installation of a penstock with a weight of 12,000t, a diameter of 5,400mm, and length of 2.5km.The hydropower plant — located on the Támega River in northern Portugal, close to the city of Porto — will have four pump turbines, each with a capacity of 220MW. It will consist of three power stations with a total power production of about 1,200MW.
Williams Partners has secured an approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Dalton Expansion project in northwest Georgia, USA.The project has been designed to deliver natural gas to an existing electric generating facility operated by Oglethorpe Power, Atlanta Gas Light, and the city of Cartersville.The development will include the construction of 185km of new steel pipe, ranging from 16-30 inches in diameter, from the existing Transco pipeline in Coweta County to new delivery points in Paulding and Murray Counties.The pipeline is being designed to transport about 448,000Dth of natural gas daily.Furthermore, the company is proposing to construct a new compressor facility in Carroll County, along with three new metering facilities and other related pipe and valve modifications to existing facilities.Rory Miller, senior vice president of Williams Partners’ Atlantic-Gulf operating area, said: “The Dalton Expansion Project is one of several Transco projects creating much-needed access to northern natural gas supplies to meet growing demand in the South, particularly in the power-generation sector.”Work on the expansion project is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2016 with completion aimed for 2017.The project is part of the company’s 2016 growth capital funding plan, which includes $1.3bn for Transco expansions and other interstate pipeline projects.
Toshiba has won a JPY9bn ($89M) order from Thailand’s Gunkul Engineering to build a solar power plant in Kimitsu, Chiba prefecture, Japan.The facility, located on a 47-hectare site, will have a power generation capacity of about 33.5MW. As per the terms of the contract, Toshiba will be responsible for the plant’s overall engineering — including basic design and the supply of major equipment — and construction.The plant will generate about 45M kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of 10,000 households. The power plant — expected to reduce 20,000t of carbon dioxide emissions annually — is scheduled to commence operation in March 2019.
Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) power business, via its joint venture company L&T-MHPS Boilers Private Limited (LMB), has won an INR38.6bn ($576M) order for a thermal power project in Uttar Pradesh, India.The scope of the contract, awarded by Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL), includes the design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of the 3x660MW Ghatampur thermal power plant.L&T Power CEO and managing director Shailendra Roy said: “This is a prestigious order from NUPPL for supercritical steam generators, with state-of-the-art equipment meeting new emission norms. LMB will meet the project schedule with best endeavours and resources conforming to international quality standards.”Currently, LMB — a joint venture between L&T India and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) — is delivering nine units of steam generator packages for large-capacity steam generators totalling 5,940MW in the country. Furthermore, six supercritical units have already commenced operations.The joint venture is also executing nine export orders for the supply of pulverisers and pressure parts for MHPS’ projects in Japan and Indonesia.
TransCanada, Sierra Oil & Gas and Grupo TMM have unveiled plans to develop a new refined products storage and transportation infrastructure system in Central Mexico.The $800M project will include the construction of a marine terminal near Tuxpan, Veracruz for offloading and distribution of refined products, a 265km refined products pipeline, and an inland storage and distribution hub.With a draft of 42ft, the marine terminal will feature four docking positions. The terminal will be pipeline-connected to key distribution centres in the region and will offer racks for truck loading and barge access to service the demand of other ports in the Gulf Coast.The pipeline, with an approximate daily capacity of 100,000 barrels of refined products, will run parallel to TransCanada's recently awarded Tuxpan-Tula natural gas pipeline project.
Larsen and Toubro’s construction unit has secured contracts worth INR11.67bn ($175M) across various business segments.The water and effluent treatment business won engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) orders worth INR8.43bn ($126M).The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) awarded a contract for the construction of a second water storage reservoir in their Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The scope of the project also includes the construction of an additional balancing reservoir and the erection of associated structures.The business also won an order from Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Distribution Board (KUWSDB) for ‘24/7 Pressurized Water Supply for Tumkuru City’. The contract includes the conversion of the existing water supply system into a 24/7 operation. The scope of the project includes improvements to the 50MLD WTP, the laying of 560km of pipeline network, metered house service connections and other associated infrastructure works.The water and effluent treatment business also secured a contract from the Public Health & Municipal Engineering Department (PHMED) government of Andhra Pradesh for a comprehensive Storm Water Drainage Scheme in Vijayawada city.Meanwhile, the metallurgical and material handling business of Larsen and Toubro’s construction unit won orders worth INR2.59bn ($39M), including the add-ons. A contract has been awarded by Indian Oil Corporation for the construction of Pet Coke Handling System in Haldia.
Alliant Energy is set to invest about $1bn to expand its wind energy operations in Iowa, USA.The company’s Iowa utility is seeking regulatory approval to expand its Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County and develop wind energy in other areas of the state.The five-year project will add up to 500MW of annual clean energy capacity. Alliant Energy is targeting a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions from 2005 to 2030.Doug Kopp, the company's president of Iowa utility, said: “Our customers expect low-cost, clean energy, which is exactly what this project will bring to the communities we serve.“Wind has no fuel costs and zero emissions, making it a win-win for Iowans and the Iowa economy.”The new wind project will create more than 1,500 construction jobs in the region.
UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has approved a senior debt of £80M for the construction of a new energy from waste combined heat and power (CHP) facility near Sittingbourne in Kent, UK.The £340M facility is expected to generate up to 154GWh of renewable energy annually — enough to power 37,500 homes.The 43MW plant is also expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 163,000t annually and eliminate around 0.5M t of waste going to landfill.Upon completion, it will supply renewable electricity to the grid and renewable heat to DS Smith’s Kemsley Paper Mill.GIB CEO Shaun Kingsbury said: “This plant will put renewable energy to work for one of Kent’s major employers while helping the UK meet its climate change and waste management goals.“Combined heat and power is a prominent feature of the low-carbon energy infrastructure in mainland Europe and Scandinavia and is one of the key technologies that can help British industry become more efficient, competitive and cleaner.”The project developer Wheelabrator Technologies has received over £300M of debt so far from a lending club that includes GIB alongside Barclays, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU), Natixis and Investec.The facility will create about 500 construction jobs and around 40 full-time operational jobs upon completion. The plant is anticipated to be operational in 2019.
SapuraKencana TL Offshore has won a MYR510M ($125M) contract for the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) offshore Dardanelles Strait in the Sea of Marmara.The company, a subsidiary of Malaysia's SapuraKencana Petroleum, will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of offshore pipelines and fibre optic cables for TANAP. SapuraKencana’s president and group CEO Shahril Shamsuddin said: “This contract win demonstrates that our transformation and strategies are continuing to enhance our competitiveness globally.“Our cost reduction efforts and increased operational effectiveness have driven this enhanced competitiveness that has helped us to secure our latest wins in Mexico and TANAP, both totalling just under RM1bn. These wins will contribute positively to the group’s performance.”The project is set to start in the third quarter of 2016 and will be completed in the third quarter of 2018.TANAP is a natural gas pipeline project that connects the continents of Europe and Asia, to supply natural gas from the Southern Gas Corridor project in Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.
EUS-Rokstad, a joint venture between Emera Utility Services and Rokstad Power, has been awarded a £86m contract by NSP Maritime Link for the construction of its Maritime Link Project in Canada.
A joint venture between Kenny Construction and Obayashi has secured a $279m contract to build the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel (SHCST) in Hartford, Connecticut.
SapuraKencana Petroleum subsidiary SapuraKencana Mexicana has won a $113M contract for the construction of a gas pipeline in Campeche, Mexico.Under the contract, awarded by Pemex Exploración y Producción, SapuraKencana will be responsible for the procurement and construction of a 36-inch diameter, 18km-long Sour Gas Pipeline from) in Ciudad del Carmen.The scope of work includes transportation and installation of pipelines, crossings, top side modifications and subsea works, including procurement and project management.Construction work is scheduled to commence in July 2016 and will be completed by March 2017.
EMAS Chiyoda Subsea in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE) has won a contract from Saudi Aramco for the development of the second phase of the Hasbah Offshore Gas Field.Under the $1.6bn contract, EMAS Chiyoda Subsea and LTHE will provide engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services for the gas field development located off the coast of Saudi Arabia.The project will help Saudi Aramco’s plans to supply an additional 2,500M standard cubic feet daily of clean natural gas through the Fadhili Gas Plant.Under the contract, the consortium will be responsible for the construction of two streams of three wellhead platform topsides, one tie-in platform with flare platforms and bridges tied together by umbilicals and in-field pipelines.It will also include interconnections of trunk lines to transport produced gas from the offshore gas field to the Fadhili Gas Plant. Simultaneously, fibre optic and other cables for power and communication networks will be installed.The engineering and fabrication component of the project has commenced and the offshore execution phase is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2017. The project is set to be completed over a period of three and half years.The joint venture also signed a six-year long-term agreement — with the option of extending it for another six years — with Saudi Aramco in June 2015 to execute offshore projects.