A multi-year construction project on a new billion-dollar power plant in Ontario, Canada, is winding down, with the opening scheduled for December 2018. The Napanee Generating Station is a 900-megawatt facility designed to replace coal-burning plants taken out of service as well as nuclear power plants being refurbished. It is expected to improve the reliability of Ontario's electrical grid.
Nearly three years was allotted for construction, which began in 2015. ALL Canada Crane, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, has been there through it all. From the earliest days of ground prep to finishing work in the home stretch, ALL Canada Crane has supplied equipment, operators and even on-site service.
"They give us reliability and a deep and versatile crane fleet," said Florin Pascut, construction manager for the State Group, the general contractor on the project. "Whatever we need, whenever we need it, it's there."
Of course, cranes play a crucial role in virtually every phase of such a massive undertaking. Building a large power-generating station is akin to constructing a small city -- this one covering 93 acres and encompassing numerous buildings and their associated infrastructure. At the peak of construction, ALL Canada Crane had 17 cranes on site, numerous operators and a full-time mechanic.
Once the ground was excavated, cranes were used to lift and set large plumbing pipes and utility lines. After completion of the underground infrastructure, focus shifted to the more visible above-ground components, including the erection of structural steel, for which cranes are a necessity. Cranes also handled the setting of major equipment like combustion turbine generators and completing the high-voltage electrical switchyard.
Installing the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) is always a significant event in the construction of a generating station. It was an intense two-week period of working nearly around the clock to set 16 pieces up to 120 feet long and weighing 300,000 pounds. ALL Canada Crane provided a Manitowoc 18000 lattice- boom crawler, a Manitowoc 2250 lattice-boom crawler and operators for the pick.
The highly engineered lift required the 18000 to pick up one end of a piece to ease it off the truck while the 2250 acted as a tail crane to lift the other end. Once the piece was fully aloft, the 2250 released it and the 18000 carried on alone.
This is delicate, precise work. After a piece was lifted, the crane had to hold it in position while it was attached to the previous section. This required accuracy down to the millimeter.
"Having a resource like ALL Canada Crane is invaluable for a project like this," said Pascut. "With so many moving parts and milestones to hit, it's important that we have a nimble, responsive partner."
The Napanee Generating Station is located near the existing Ontario Power Generation Lennox Generating Station site. Having the two plants in close proximity allows them to share services like electrical and natural gas connections, water and sewer. When it opens, the new generating station will be one of the cleanest and most efficient in Ontario.
For more information, visit www.allcrane.com or call (800) 232-4100.
