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Client: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Location: Stanton, North Dakota, United States
Project Type: Environmental
Contract Amount: $114,700,000 USD
Delivery Method: Time & Material/Negotiated
Project Size: N/A
Start Date: May 2008
Completion Date: November 2009
Architect/Engineer: Sargent & Lundy
Participating Alberici Enterprises
Basin Electric Leland Olds WFGD
In June of 2008, Alberici began work, at the Basin Electric Leland Olds Station Power Plant in Stanton, North Dakota, on the installation of two Babcock Power Environmental WFGD (Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization) units and auxiliary equipment. WFGD units remove sulfur dioxide from the plant’s flue gas through a wet process that uses a slurry of alkaline sorbent, usually limestone or lime, to “scrub” the gases. The plant’s updates are part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Haze Rule. The rule provides for improvements in visibility at national parks and wilderness areas through greater emission control using the best available retrofit technology. All improvements have to be made by the end of 2013.
In addition to the installation of the two WFGD units, Alberici is building several supporting systems including;
- A new reagent preparation building with ball mills and limestone slurry storage facilities
- Limestone and gypsum conveyance systems
- A dewatering facility for the dewatering of the spent limestone slurry, storage tanks for the reclaimed water, and a building for the storage of the byproduct, gypsum.
- Ductwork on site fabrication and erection that will tie into the existing Leland Olds Flue gas ductwork.
The Leland Olds Station was the first power plant constructed by Basin Electric. The first unit started in 1966 with the second unit following in 1975. The project will allow the Leland Olds Station to lower its levels of sulfur dioxide to meet Federal air quality requirements. The Leland Olds Station has always been in full compliance with all federal and state environmental permits. By adding the scrubbers, Leland Olds will be in a better position to operate for an additional 20 to 30 years. The project’s execution plan calls for Alberici to self-perform about half of the work. The self-perform packages include structural steel erection, ductwork fabrication and erection, assembly, installation, equipment setting and general conditions. The manpower at the Leland Olds project is expected to peak around 400. Alberici has enjoyed the opportunities to work with the union tradesman in the Bismarck North Dakota area and looks forward to a long time future relationship.
The Leland Olds station project presented several unique challenges, not the least of which was the geographic location of the project. ACI and its subcontractors were able to put in place of 50% of the project during one of the worst North Dakota winters in recorded history. Alberici achieved this by looking a new ways of economically heating and tenting work areas, and always making sure safety and protection of the workforce remained as the first priority on days were temperatures dipped well into double digits below zero. Alberici and its subcontractors maintained an outstanding safety record during construction of the project with only three recordable injuries with 700,000 man-hours worked and zero lost time incidents.
While construction took place at the Leland Olds Station, the plant remained in full operation. Daily coordination was required between the plant and the construction team to coordinate the movement of large equipment with the daily operations of the plant including the daily movement of haul trucks, coal trains, and export ash.
