FPD News

FPD Power Development awarded the Ottertail Power Contract

Fergus Falls, MN ― March 6, 2013 ― FPD Power Development (FPD) has been awarded the electrical construction work for Ottertail Power Company’s, Big Stone Station Emissions Project. The Big Stone project is very similar to the 2007 Xcel Energy project that FPD completed using the same air-quality control equipment at the Allen S. King plant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota. In comparison the A.S. King plant is only slightly larger than Big Stone Plant. The A.S. King project cost was approximately $450 million in 2007. The Big Stone project is projected to cost $490 million in retrofits to the existing plant.

Along with the Balance of Plant upgrades the new AQCS will include:

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)

  • Selective Catalytic Reduction targets nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx).
  • In the case of the AQCS at Big Stone Plant, the SCR will create a chemical reaction that destroys nitrogen-oxide by converting it to nitrogen (N 2).
  • The current nitrogen oxide emission level at the plant is about 0.7 pounds per million BTU of fuel. The nitrogen oxide emission limit will be 0.1 pounds per million BTU of fuel after the installation of the SCR.

Dry scrubber

  • Dry-scrubbing systems remove the acid gases from combustion sources. The dry scrubber at Big Stone Plant will target sulfur dioxide (SO 2).
  • In the dry-scrubbing process we'll add lime (calcium) to the flue gas that creates a chemical reaction that produces calcium sulfate.
  • The current sulfur-dioxide emission level at the plant is about 0.75 pounds per million BTU of fuel. The sulfur-dioxide emission limit will be 0.09 pounds per million BTU of fuel after the installation of the dry scrubber.

Baghouse

  • The installation of one of the most efficient and cost-effective dust collectors available.
  • Particulate levels (levels of dust in the air) at Big Stone Plant already are within environmental permit limits.
  • The new baghouse is being built with an operating pressure that's much lower than new the air-quality control system will require.

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Power Engineering Magazine chooses FPD project as finalist for Project of the Year Award

Las Vegas, NV ― September. 30, 2011 ― The editors of Power Engineering magazine and PennWell Corp. have announced nine finalists for the annual Projects of the Year Awards program. The Dave Gates Generating Station at Mill Creek in Montana was selected as one of three finalists in the Best Gas-fired Project catagory. FPD Power Development was the control system integrator, as well as the electrical contractor on this project.

"The world's appetite for energy continues to grow," said Richard G. Baker, senior vice president of PennWell's Power Generation Group. "Companies like those represented by this year's project finalists are instrumental in meeting the growing demand. Power Engineering magazine is once again pleased to be able to recognize some of the exceptional power generation projects that were completed in the past year."

The winners of the Projects of the Year Awards were announced during a gala awards banquet on Monday, Dec. 12, at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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FPD Power Development earns Governor's Safety Award

MINNEAPOLIS, MN ― May. 13, 2011 ― FPD Power Development earns the coveted Governor's Safety Award from OSHA for superior performance in workplace safety and health.

"An effective safety program reduces injuries and cost, maximizes productivity and builds morale," said Carol Bufton, president of the Minnesota Safety Council. "Employers like FPD understand that safety is good business, now more then ever."

Since 1974, the annual Governor's Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with state and national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program.

Winners are recognized at three levels:

  • Meritorious Achievement: Above average performance in incident rates and implementation of at least half of specified safety program benchmarks.
  • Outstanding Achievement: Continuing improvement and/or continuing outstanding record and implementation of 75 percent of safety program benchmarks.
  • Award of Honor: Exceptional accomplishment in reduction of injuries and illness in the workplace and implementation of more then 90 percent of specified benchmarks.

FPD Power Development received the Meritorious Achievement Award at the 77th Minnesota Safety and Health Conference coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council. The conference is the oldest and largest gathering of workplace safety and health professional in the region. The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1938, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries ("accidents").


ECCS Honors FPD Power Development with Safety Award

MANDAN, ND ― March. 9, 2011 ― The Energy Coalition for Contractor Safety Committee (ECCS) has honored FPD as one of only 40 companies who have met the selected criteria for safety excellence in 2010.

  • OSHA Incident Rate of 3.00 or lower on ECCS sites in 2010
  • 100% compliance on safety programs submitted to NDSC
  • Worked a minimun of 5,000 hours on ECCS sites in 2010

FPD Power Development received the award at the annual Contractor Safety Recognition Luncheon on March 9th, 2011 in Meridian, ND.


Power Engineering Magazine chooses FPD project as Winner of 2010 Project of the Year Award

Orlando, FL ― December. 14, 2011 ― At a gala banquet at POWER-GEN International in Orlando, Fla., on December 14, Power Engineering magazine’s editors recognized the 2010 Projects of the Year Award finalists and announced four winners. This year’s Projects of the Year Award winners and honorable mentions represented facilities and/or technology that signified excellence in four categories: coal-fired, gas-fired, nuclear and renewable/sustainable energy.

After 13 years of research and development in an effort to find a more affordable way to control emissions, the Coal Creek Station, a 1,200 MW plant near Underwood, N.D., implemented its DryFining process in December 2009. This 2010 best coal-fired project is operated by Great River Energy, which developed the technology in-house to improve fuel quality by simultaneously drying and refining low-rank coal. The DryFining technology integrates waste heat in place of primary fuel to dry lignite without volatization. The project is also unique in its continuous segregation of particles bearing the highest concentrations of pyritic sulfur and mercury and the complete integration within the existing plant.

As FPD became involved in the project, it quickly became clear that the project schedule was extremely tight for the magnitude of work that was required. FPD mobilized in February 2009, and was able to support commercial operation by the end of 2009 by working two shifts, up to seven days a week at 12 hours per day, with peak manpower of nearly 230 electricians. In the 11 month duration of the project, FPD worked 262,000 man-hours, installed over 200,000 feet of conduit and over 1.1 million feet of cable. What made the project a true success was the collaboration and cooperation among all the parties involved with the project – from GRE’s own team to the engineers and all the contractors – who shared a common goal of completing the project within the strict regulatory deadline.

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Electrical Contract Awarded for Pueblo Airport Generation Station Projects

PUEBLO, CO ― Dec. 8, 2010 ― Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) announced today that subsidiaries Black Hills Energy – Colorado Electric and Black Hills Colorado IPP have awarded the electrical package contract to FPD Power Development for the Pueblo Airport Generation Station projects. FPD will work with IBEW Local 12 and Larkin Enterprises to hire qualified professionals to perform all of the electrical, instrumentation and controls construction work on these projects.

"We have a long history of working in Pueblo and are excited to continue sharing our 40-plus years of experience to make southern Colorado an energy epicenter," said Jeff Gale, executive vice president of FPD Power Development. "We are pleased to be working with Black Hills on these exciting projects and look forward to working closely with local, experienced professionals to successfully complete this contract."

"This electrical package includes approximately 1.5 million feet of cable between the two projects, is the third largest contract awarded and represents nearly 30 percent of the entire workload for the new generation projects under construction," said Christopher Burke, vice president of operations for Black Hills Energy – Colorado Electric. "We continue our commitment to competitively soliciting qualified, least-cost resources, and we are particularly pleased that much of this additional work will be awarded to local companies and craft labor."

FPD will work about 200,000 man-hours on this project and plans to hire qualified electricians from IBEW Local 12. FPD subcontractor Larkin Enterprises will also hire pipefitters from Local 58. In addition, FPD will be sourcing the majority of the materials from local distributors.

The Pueblo Airport Generation Station currently has more than 350 contractors and craft labor on site. As of August, when the official ground-breaking ceremony occurred, both utility-owned LMS100s have been delivered and set on their respective foundations by mechanical contractor Fagen, Inc. and Pueblo-based subcontractor Vision Mechanical. Additionally, the switchyard access road and site grading construction services were completed by Rice and Rice, and the waterline construction was completed by K.R. Swerdfeger. Planning is in full swing for the cooling tower erection, planned for January 2011. Colorado-based Cooling Tower Depot will subcontract the erection work with Kirk Erectors, Inc. Kirk Erectors will use local carpenters, pipefitters, operators, millwrights and laborers union halls. The project will take approximately 18 weeks and will employ 15 people. Additionally, the gas line and compression facility are almost complete, and work has begun on the pre-engineered buildings.

The Black Hills Pueblo Airport Generation Station will consist of four units, two utility-owned natural gas-fired LMS100 units and two Black Hills Colorado IPP-owned high efficiency combined cycle units. Each of the combined cycle units will consist of two 40 megawatt natural gas-fired LM6000 turbines and one 20 MW steam turbine. The generation facility is expected to be in service by Jan. 1, 2012.

FPD Power Development has served the needs of the power generation business for more than 40 years. Originally part of the electrical and manufacturing company, Commonwealth Electric, Inc., FPD Power Development was reorganized into a separate entity focused on the power generation business in June 2004. Larkin Enterprises, Inc. has supplied technical and support personnel on a contract basis to some of the leading firms in the power generation and utility industries in the U.S. and internationally. Since their inception, LEI has strived to be a company of integrity and excellence.

Contract will create as many as 125 local jobs for electrical, instrumentation and controls construction workers.

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