Power is fundamental to many projects / areas and knowing its requirement is only the start of a process. Feasibility studies are conducted to develop plant designs that meet the requirements of not only the load but also the environment, fuel source, water supply and any other government requirements. This information is used to determine a best fit solution which is then be engineered in to a budgeted feasibility study. This feasibility process is typically performed in house and with consultation with OEM’s, government bodies and the client. The end result from this may be the non-viability of the project. Typical outputs from the study would be a concept plant design, project plan, budget, water balance, electrical model and environmental footprint. This information would then be used to commence environmental approval for the project if moving forward.

The Gensrv team work with multiple equipment providers and vendors to establish procurement and shipping contracts that exceed the project QA standards. These sub supplier contracts will include such documentation and require such inspection to ensure the project technical and quality standards are achieved. Each equipment providers lead times are then factored in to the project plan to determine the ideal time to specify, design, procure manufacture and ship each sub system to ensure seamless cost effective construction at site.

Gensrv’s construction model utilises the minimum of subcontractors to reduce interface risk, yet provide sufficient diversity so as to not increase delivery risk. Typically works are split between Civil, Mechanical and Electrical. A detailed Division of Works (DOW) is produce to clearly define work scope. Construction is then assed, reviewed and managed daily by engineering and contracts managers. Each sub-contracting group has its own safety representatives reporting to the overall HSE representative and site manager. Where possible the same manager is used for construction and commissioning to provide continuity through the phases to operation. All works are managed under a Project execution plan and master delivery schedule.

With years of experience Gensrv can take a green field asset and develop all the plans, procedures and policies required for its operation over the proposed lifecycle and supply, customise and propagate the plants ERP system. We are also able to supply skilled staff to manage assets of different designs and are always keen to negotiate performance based O&M contracts with our clients. Gensrv uses methodologies such as condition based assessment to ensure our maintenance costs are reduced year to year excluding known CAPEX expenditure. With regard to brownfield assets and following due diligence the existing methodologies can be reviewed and any improvements identified and ratified then implemented. In all cases the key drivers are O&M cost in relation to delivering the facility generation warranties to clients and their upstream commitments.

At GenSrv detailed designs for generating facilities suitable for a number of fuels and with options for different load characteristics to meet t our client’s requirements. Typically, we would take a feasibility study and further develop this in to a bankable plant design with interconnections to equipment provider’s actual equipment. The process would result in a set of documentation and models suitable for the construction of the facility. The design process can run for up to 12 month’s subject to the complexity of the plant under design. In many cases the design is modularised to allow as much work to be performed in factories away from the site. The team at Gensrv has licences for software and tools required to detail model sections of the plant to be designed. This may include ETAP load flow, and arc flash models, Pipe Flow Pro pressure models or simply cash management models. Each model is developed to best represent the system under simulation with the latest information known. These models are critical to ensuring correct design and fit with the client’s intent. Source data for the models remains the clients IP. Additionally, plant and process simulators can be engineered based on stimulation of existing DCS / SCADA or replication subject to client’s requirements.

Key to electrical system design are requirements for load and frequency stability. Gensrv use ETAP to software model the dynamics of all electrical components in a supplied system. In many cases the modelling has to extend to the local grid system so that design impact can be assed. The modelling not only allows for the correct calculation of load flow but also the determination of fault current and protection system grading. Additional studies such as Arc Flash are also performed to ensure design compliance with project / site / government codes and standards.

The environment is of paramount importance to all humanity. Over the last decade a number of new technologies have emerged to allow for the generation of energy using renewable resources. Such resources include the sun through photo voltaic cells (PV) or mirror and heat capture systems, Wind though both onshore and offshore turbines, waves through tidal barriers and motion capture devices, Hydro through dams or pump storage and run of river. In the latter years the capital cost of such system has reduced dramatically making viability for large scale generation a real alternative to fossil fuels. At the same time as the renewable technology leap, fossil technology has also benefited through design and innovation as below.

Fossil Fuel remains the backbone for large scale generation throughout the world however things have changed. Early fossil plant design utilised chain grate / stoker boilers of sub critical design. These early systems struggled to achieve efficiencies of 20%. Though the evolution of the basic design and more importantly materials the latest ranking cycle plants operate in the ultra-super critical region and can achieve efficiencies of >42%. New boiler technologies have also been scaled up and equipment such as Circulating Fluidised Bed Boilers (CFB) are now also designed in the super critical steam space. CFB’s offer emission reduction due to lower firing temperatures which do not generate NOx components and allow for SO components to be treated intra furnace by lime injection. Essentially only C components remain for post combustion capture. As always particulate can be managed by bag filtration.