Utilities sample projects

This project involved the assessment of the former hydro generating station located at Twin Falls, Labrador. This facility was constructed just before the Churchill Falls development began as a test facility to determine if the hydro generating model was feasible and later served as a source of power for the construction of the Churchill Falls project and the development of the Wabush/Labrador City area. The scope of the project was to assess the Architectural, Mechanical and Electrical components of this facility, complete a decommissioning study and to determine the feasibility of offering the said equipment for sale to the international market.

The existing building had hazardous materials, therefore personnel required Hazmat training and orientation. The evaluation of the inside of the structure was performed while wearing relevant Hazmat protective clothing.

The workscope included the Site visit and Electrical Engineering and design for five upgrades including:  replacement of 16 control relays and timers in the sluice gate control panels; replacement of 2 manual transfer switches for the governor accumulator tanks; installation of a dam warning horn system; replacement of gate hoist 3A FVNR 125Vdc brake contactor; and miscellaneous maintenance work on 5,000 KVA substation power transformer.

This project involved assessments of existing battery banks and associated chargers located at seventeen remote substations located throughout the province.  Responsibilities included:

• Visiting each site, performing condition assessments of existing systems and reporting findings to NL Hydro.
• Developing work packages for the replacement of the defective battery banks and chargers.
• Providing assistance in the development of technical specifications for two public tenders covering the replacement of the defective battery banks and chargers.
• Providing on-site and/or remote support for the duration of the projects.

Some obstacles Maderra had to overcome during the course of the work were the number of work sites involved and their remote locations. These factors played out at the initial stage of the project and later again during mobilization and construction stages. The logistics involved in the disposal of the obsolete batteries and chargers and the delivery of the replacement units often required some innovative thinking at the development of the work package stages.

Maderra provided multi-discipline Engineering and Design for a new substation control building, including Electrical, Instrumentation, Protection and Controls equipment and associated systems.

Maderra provided Engineering design for concrete foundations for the Maritime Link sites in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A geotechnical investigation was carried out and foundation designs completed for winches and subsea cable armour termination clamps.

The Bay D’Espoir Generating Station consists of two (2) powerhouses with a peak generating capacity of 600 MW. Powerhouse #1 was constructed in the 1960s and consists of six (6) 75 MW units, while Powerhouse #2 was constructed in the 1970s and utilizes one (1) 154 MW unit. The existing ventilation systems can only provide roughly 25-50% of the ventilation rate required to maintain a safe operating temperature for the equipment and comfortable working environment for the building occupants. Maderra designed a system to supplement the existing ventilation system to meet client requirements and provide an environment that allows the equipment to operate more efficiently.

The work included a peer review and professional sealing of 17 Structural design documents for the structural support components of an Isolated Phase Bus Duct system for Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Generating Facility.  The documentation was produced by the Client and reviewed by Maderra to ensure adherence to Canadian Codes and Standards, as well as local industry practices.

This project covers Electrical, Mechanical, Structural, Protection and Controls, Civil and  Architectural services to complete: i) a building extension to accommodate a new 945 KW diesel generator set; and ii) specification, installation, connection and hook-up of the genset package.  Maderra partnered with Madsen Controls and Engineering for the execution of this project.

This project includes Site Civil works and foundation design; extensions or upgrades to the perimeter fence, building envelop, ventilation systems, heating systems, station service, grounding system, lighting, and overhead crane; a new nitrogen storage room; a new fire suppression system; specification of the generator package and controls; design of the interface to the existing control systems; design of the interface to the existing switchgear, including an extension of the switchgear; an external generator radiator; new generator exhaust stack and associated structural support; upgrades to the diesel fuel system and day tank; electrical systems analysis; and design of construction aids.

Additionally the scope includes safety and risk assessments, detailed project planning, Site visits and assessments, as-building of the existing facility and systems, procurement support for the main packages, shop drawing review, preparation of construction cost estimates, and resident Site support during construction.