|
Related Article:
All They Are Saying is Give Coal a Chance
In constructing the Genesee Phase 3 Generating Station, EPCOR
is taking seriously the idea of spreading the load.
Well aware of recent troublesome cost overruns on other major
Alberta projects, EPCOR, along with its technical services
contractor Colt Engineering Corporation, took deliberate steps
to prevent GP3 from enduring a similar fate.
The heart of the project, the power island and supercritical
boiler, were let to Hitachi Canada Ltd. under a fixed, lump
sum contract. On the balance of the plant, EPCOR, working
through Colt, carefully divided the project into about 20
manageable packages. None was valued at more than $30 million.
While that meant challenges in terms of co-ordination, project
manager Al Pettican, P.Eng., also points to advantages. By
carefully defining the scope and tasks, it was easier to research
and identify a number of well-qualified potential bidders
suited for specific contracts.
"You structure it to get the right sized-company,"
Mr. Pettican explains. "Once you've got the right-sized
company ¾ there are probably three out there ¾
you tell them they're bidding against two others, so they
put a proper bid together for you."
In a number of design and engineering areas, Colt determined
that it had the in-house capability to do the job. In other
instances, it sought help. For the balance-of-plant facilities,
that resulted in a subcontractor line-up that includes:
- Voice Construction Ltd. ¾ site preparation and
cold-water piping installation
- AGRA Foundation Ltd. ¾ pilings
- LaFarge Canada Inc. ¾ supply of cold-water piping
- Hamon Custodis-Cottrell (Canada) Inc. ¾ boiler
stack
- Bird Construction Company ¾ general civil construction,
including foundations for the structure, breakers, transformers
and external flood lighting
- Laird Electric ¾ general electrical switchyard
and transformer bays, and balance of plant.
|
