LOCATION: Boston, MA
DESIGN START: Winter 2009
DESIGN COMPLETION: Summer 2010
SIZE & TECHNOLOGY: 7.5 MW Taurus 70 with HRSG & SCR
FIRM ROLE: Engineering, Procure, Construction Management and Commissioning
IN-SERVICE: Summer 2011
Waldron was selected by P&G Gillette to expand their existing power plant by installing a new combined heat and power plant in a location that was occupied by an existing boiler. A multi-level plant design was developed with the prime mover selected as the 7.5 MW Solar Taurus 70 gas turbine that exhausted through a 100kph Rentech HRSG. Waldron was also awarded the construction management (CM) and procurement contract for the plant installation. Except for the turbine, gas compressor, and HRSG; Waldron supplied all plant auxiliary equipment and subcontracts to execute the plant installation. The CM scope included site work, soil remediation, driven piles, concrete foundations, demolition of existing plant interferences and boiler, abatement, structural steel installation, major & auxiliary equipment installation, piping & insulation, aqueous ammonia tank, fire suppression, fire alarm, architectural finishes, electrical distribution, and instrumentation and controls. In addition, Waldron performed the start-up & commissioning of the plant.
Throughout the project there was continued added scope due to unforeseen conditions with an expectation of zero changes to the schedule. Waldron also had changing utility interconnect requirements which led to impacts on the design. In addition, Waldron successfully navigated Boston permitting changes during the certification of occupancy process.
Waldron’s work on Gillette proved to be very challenging. After many curveballs, we met those challenges successfully. For example, Waldron had to perform the demolition and erect structural steel inside the operating plant—a plant that could not have any unplanned outages. We also had to be creative in planning and executing construction operations during severe weather conditions in order to make a large cut in the existing building envelope during the winter months in Boston. Existing sensitive equipment and systems installed in the construction path had to be protected from construction activities. As a scheduling challenge, Waldron had to coordinate weekend fire alarm testing and the permit closeout process between the vendors, the subcontractors, the Boston Fire Department and P&G – which in and of itself is no small task. It is worthy to remember that the plant had to stay operational at all times to support the manufacturing of P&G Gillette products. Waldron and our subcontractors planned and worked many major holiday weekends to suit the few plant planned outage schedules. Waldron worked closely with the client and building owner during the commissioning process to overcome impacts to the newly installed equipment from utility harmonics.