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.
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.
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.
Canadian power utility Kineticor Resource has signed long-term agreements with multiple oil and gas producers to build, own and operate the 100MW Peace River power project in Alberta, Canada. The $100M project will use the associated gas produced as a result of heavy oil production near Peace River to create clean energy. The power generated will supply about 90,000 homes. The development will reduce flaring emissions from oil and gas operations, contributing to Canada's commitment to reduce methane emissions from the sector by at least 40%. Kineticor CEO Andrew Plaunt said: "The project is reducing both costs and emissions typically associated with natural gas processing and distribution to a power plant by producing power directly on-site."This reduces the emissions intensity and cost base required for clean, efficient and reliable power production in the province, while offering producers in the Peace River area an attractive and economic solution to conserve their associated gas."The project will create up to 120 construction jobs and is expected to be operational by the second half of 2017, subject to regulatory and environmental approval.
Enel Green Power North America (EGPNA) has begun construction on the 65MW Chisholm View II wind farm in Oklahoma, USA.Chisholm View II is an expansion of the existing 235MW Chisholm View wind farm. When completed, it will bring the site’s total installed capacity to 300MW.The $90M project, owned by EGPNA subsidiary Enel Kansas, will be able to generate over 240M kWh annually — the equivalent to the energy consumption needs of more than 19,000 US households. The power generated from the wind farm will be sold under a bundled, long-term power purchase agreement.The wind farm will eliminate more than 126,000t of CO2 emissions each year. EGPNA’s head Rafael Gonzalez said: "With the construction of Chisholm View II, EGPNA is further reinforcing its rapid growth strategy in the United States.“The new plant is part of our ongoing commitment to expand our operations in North America where we continue to reach new milestones, including a record 800 MW currently under construction.”The wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2016.
The North Dakota Public Service Commission has given the go-ahead to a $250M wind farm project in Hettinger and Stark Counties, North Dakota.The Brady II Wind Energy Center will have a capacity of about 150MW and will comprise up to 72 wind turbines that are expected to be located in Hettinger County. Underground electrical collection systems and cables are expected to be located in Stark County.The project will cover an area of about 17,762 acres in northern Hettinger County and nearly 2,554 acres in Stark County. Permanent structures are expected to cover an area of about 74 acres during operation.Commissioner Brian Kalk said: “Each wind project is unique in some way and the Commission continues to work through issues within our jurisdiction to find the best solution for each project and at the same time respecting the role of the counties in the process.“As wind projects continue to come before us, we are committed to continue working with the Association of Counties to plan ahead for all types of energy development.” The new facility will be located adjacent to the southern boundary of the 150MW first Brady Wind project that secured the Commission’s approval last month. It will feature up to 87 turbines in Stark County.
Aecon has won two energy contracts from Union Gas and Spectra Energy in Canada.A $250M contract has been awarded to Aecon by Union Gas Limited for work on its Dawn-Parkway expansion project in Ontario, Canada. The scope of the work includes the construction of natural gas compressor facilities at its Bright, Dawn and Lobo compressor station locations.Construction work has commenced and is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2017.The second contract is a four-year Master Service Agreement (MSA) from Spectra Energy for pipelines facilities in Western Canada.The MSA contract involves construction work at Spectra’s compressor stations and related labour on pipeline facilities on the natural gas transmission system in British Columbia. Construction work is already underway.Aecon’s energy executive vice president Mark Scherer said: “Building partnerships and alliances forms the backbone of our business, and we look forward to working on these essential programs as we continue our strategic alliance with Union Gas and Spectra Energy in both Eastern and Western Canada.”
US-based infrastructure firm AECOM has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the $700M Alliant Energy Riverside Energy Center expansion project in Wisconsin, US.AECOM will be responsible for the design, supply, install and start-up of a 2x1 gas-fired combined cycle. The power plant will use gas-fired combustion turbine technology to produce about 700MW of electricity for Alliant Energy customers in Wisconsin. AECOM’s chairman and CEO Michael Burke said: “We’re pleased to build the next-generation power plant that will enable Alliant Energy to keep delivering efficient and cost effective energy to thousands of customers and businesses.“This project taps an experienced, talented team unrivaled in our industry for delivering energy efficient power generation sites across the country.”The project is expected to be complete by early-2020.
SNC-Lavalin in joint venture with Aecon Group has secured two contracts from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for nuclear services at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, Canada.Under the first contract worth $265M, the JV will be responsible for the refurbishment of all four 935MW steam turbine generators at the station, along with the generators’ overhauls and moisture separator re-heaters, condenser repairs and implementation of new controls systems.Work has already started and is expected to be complete in 2025.According to the second contract, valued at $127M, the JV will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the Retube Waste Processing Building. The work, shared equally between the two companies, is anticipated to be completed in 2017.SNC-Lavalin’s chief nuclear officer and executive vice president of nuclear Preston Swafford said: “We are pleased to work closely with OPG to extend the life of one of Canada’s largest nuclear generating stations.“Our nuclear capabilities ensure that the Candu nuclear reactors will continue to provide safe, reliable, affordable and CO2-free energy to Ontario for up to another 30 years.”
Dominion subsidiary Dominion Virginia Power has started work on its 1,588MW Greensville County Power Station in Virginia, USA.Construction on the new $1.3bn facility follows the plant's air permit approval by the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board. According to the company, the air permit, issued on June 17, was the last regulatory hurdle the power plant had to clear before proceeding. Dominion's Generation Group CEO Paul Koonce said: "This is terrific news for Dominion, its customers, the Commonwealth, Greensville County and all of Southside Virginia."We are excited about the task ahead and are looking forward to getting this state-of-the art power station operating and providing energy to more than 400,000 customers by 2019."The new plant will be the company's second major generation project in Southside, being the first Brunswick County Power Station, which started generating electricity in April.
EDF Energies Nouvelles subsidiary EDF EN Canada and MD1 Wind have dedicated the 74MW Mont Rothery wind project in Quebec, Canada.The project includes 37 wind turbines, which will generate clean electricity to meet the needs of about 15,000 Quebec homes. The $175M wind farm has created over 200 jobs during the peak construction period and approximately seven permanent operation and maintenance jobs.Construction on the project started in October 2014 and reached commercial operation in December 2015.EDF EN Canada’s director of generation Alex Couture said: “In addition to the $11M of local economic impact generated by the project during construction, the two MRCs concerned by the project and the city of Murdochville will share a total contribution of over $4M during the operational phase.”* For more information on the Canada construction market, visit the Construction Intelligence Center Report Store.
LACC, the joint venture between Axiall Corporation and Lotte Chemical, has started construction on a $3bn project to build an ethane cracker facility in Louisiana, USA.The cracker facility, to be located adjacent to Axiall’s existing Lake Charles complex, is expected to produce 1M tonnes of ethylene annually. Lotte Chemical will also build an adjacent plant to produce 700,000t of ethylene glycol (EG) annually. The facilities are expected to create over 200 new direct jobs and more than 1,800 indirect jobs in the region. Further, about 2,000 temporary construction jobs are expected to be created during construction work.Lotte Chemical’s president and CEO Soo Young Huh said: “Among Korean petrochemical companies, Lotte Chemical is the first to locate a project in the United States; as such, this project represents a significant investment by Lotte Chemical.”Axiall’s president and CEO Tim Mann said: “For Axiall this commitment marks the next phase of our continued investment in the Lake Charles area. Our construction site is just west of our largest chemicals plant, where we have operated for nearly 70 years.”
Spectra Energy subsidiary Valley Crossing Pipeline has secured a contract from the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) to build the $1.5bn Nueces-to-Brownsville natural gas pipeline.The 168-mile intrastate natural gas pipeline project will be used to transport natural gas — starting in 2018 — to meet Mexico's growing power generation needs.Under the contract, Valley Crossing will build and operate a header system of more than 5bn cb ft per day near the Agua Dulce Hub in Nueces County, Texas, as well as a 2.6bn cb ft per day pipeline originating at that header and extending to Brownsville, Texas. There, the pipeline will connect with the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan pipeline, which will extend into Mexico.Spectra Energy’s president of US Transmission and Storage Bill Yardley said: "Spectra Energy is pleased to have secured the bid to build and operate this critical infrastructure, which will provide clean-burning and reliable natural gas to support Mexico as its electric generators shift away from fuel oil and imported LNG."Successfully securing this project adds to our already-strong asset portfolio, connects us to another key demand-pull market, and brings us closer to our goal of securing $35bn in capital expansion projects by the end of this decade, with approximately $20bn either in execution or in service since 2013."
The Infraestructura Marina del Golfo (IMG) joint venture has secured a contract to design and build a $2.1bn natural gas pipeline in Mexico.Under the 25-year contract — awarded by the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) — the JV between Infraestructura Energética Nova (IEnova) and TransCanada will build, own and operate an approximately 800km gas pipeline.IMG will be responsible for implementing the project, including permitting, acquiring land and rights of way, engineering, procurement, construction, financing, operation and maintenance. The 42-inch diameter ‘Sur de Texas-Tuxpan’ pipeline will have a daily capacity of 2.6bn cb ft. The pipeline will be used to transport natural gas from a point near Brownsville, Texas, to Tuxpan, Veracruz, and will provide natural gas to new and existing CFE power plants that currently use fuel oil. TransCanada’s president and CEO Russ Girling said: "We are extremely pleased to further our growth plans in Mexico with one of the most important natural gas infrastructure projects for that country's future."This new project brings our footprint of existing assets and projects in development in Mexico to more than $5bn, all underpinned by 25-year agreements with Mexico's state power company."The pipeline is expected to be operational in late 2018.
Granite Construction subsidiary Kenny Construction has won four sewer renewal contracts worth $119M from the City of Chicago.Under the contracts, Kenny will be responsible for the cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining, and CIPP structure lining for two years with an option to extend by one year.The contracts are part of a multi-year programme to replace Chicago’s aging brick sewers, financed by the City of Chicago and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Granite Construction said that CIPP lining and structure lining extends the life of hydraulically adequate sewers at lower cost than excavating and replacing sewers in the streets, and is less disruptive to vehicular and pedestrian traffic during construction.Construction is set to commence in the second quarter of 2016 and is expected to be complete in May 2019.
Three companies have started construction on the 224.25MW Nicolas-Riou wind project in Canada.EDF EN Canada, Énergie Éolienne Bas-St-Laurent (EEBSL), and Régie intermunicipale de l'énergie Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (RIEGÎM) are working on the CAD500M ($381.4M) project, which is located in the RCM of Les Basques and Rimouski-Neigette.The project is anticipated to be operational at the end of 2017. It will create up to 400 jobs during the construction phase, and up to 10 permanent operation and maintenance jobs.EDF EN Canada’s vice president of development Cory Basil said: “EDF EN Canada welcomes the decree authorizing the construction and operation of the Nicolas-Riou Wind Project and offers our sincere thanks to the government of Québec for its permission to proceed with this important community project.“We are very excited to have formed a strong partnership between EDF EN, EEBSL and RIEGÎM. This project is the result of a partnership that pairs the experience and expertise of EDF EN Canada with the understanding of local expectations brought by our public partners.”65 V117-3.45 MW wind turbines to be used on the wind farm will be supplied by Danish manufacturer Vestas.
US-based services firm CH2M has secured design-build contracts for two infrastructure projects in Texas and California.They include the $1.2bn Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion (NEWPP) project in Houston and the $85M Cogeneration Facility project in San Jose, California.The NEWPP project will be delivered by the Houston Waterworks Team, a joint venture between CH2M and CDM Smith, over the next nine years.Under the contract, the team will be responsible for designing and constructing a new water facility, start-up, commissioning and operating activities. The project also includes the expansion of the city of Houston's existing NEWPP from 80mgd to 320mgd through two construction phases.CH2M has also been tasked to design and construct the new cogeneration plant at the San José Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility.The scope of the project involves a new digester gas treatment system, a control system and monitoring system with connectivity to the Wastewater Facility's Distributed Control System, electrical switchgear, a new digester gas pipeline and natural gas pipeline, new heat recovery systems, and civil work including parking areas and utilities.
Southern Company subsidiary Mississippi Power and Origis Energy have started construction on the $100M solar power plant in Lamar County, Mississippi.Located on a 590-acre site, the facility will feature more than 215,000 polycrystalline solar panels and will produce 52MW of energy, enough to supply about 8,000 homes. Mississippi Power will secure all energy and related renewable energy credits generated by the plant that is set to become the largest solar facility in Mississippi when completed.Mississippi Power president and CEO Anthony Wilson said: "By working with Origis Energy and the Area Development Partnership, we will have nearly doubled the amount of electricity generated by renewable energy going to the Mississippi Power grid."The project will create nearly 100 construction jobs and is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2017.