Peterborough ‘Waste to Power’ Power Station pipework installation challenge

May 28, 2018

When you get a call from a project manager to quote on the regions largest infrastructure project in a decade – a project that’s already under construction, because the incumbent engineers have walked off site – you quickly realise it may not be a gift horse!

Wanted ‘competent and highly technical installation’ with immediate start

With weeks of the scheduled delivery lost, the main contractors Babcock & Wilcox Vølund were desperate to source a competent and highly technical installation team. Having been recommended to Cambs Compressors they met on site, explained the issues and after a comprehensive assessment Cambs Compressors agreed to take the contract on.

A £75m ‘high profile’ project without a pipework installation team

The £75m energy recovery facility at Peterborough was fully financed by the Peterborough City Council. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project was the consortium of Babcock & Wilcox Vølund and Interserve Construction. The technology and associated facilities were supplied by Babcock & Wilcox Vølund, the flue gas treatment system was supplied by Götaverken Miljö, and the construction works were performed entirely by Interserve Construction. Everything depended upon the highly complex pipework installation.

Installation of complex compressed air pipework, within a shortened timescale

The Energy-from-waste generation process at the Peterborough facility was designed to operate using the proprietary NextBAT technology. Developed by Babcock & Wilcox Vølund in collaboration with its subsidiary Götaverken Miljö – the technology provides a complete solution to convert waste into energy and the deadline for its deployment was set.

Collaborative and international engineering mix involving new technology

Understanding the collaborative and international mix of the engineering team, the scale and profile of the project – the engineering team at Cambs Compressors conducted a four-hour intense survey of the site. The drawings were like no others ever seen. The pipe system was highly complex and the unique format of the engineering plans made them very difficult to follow. However, after liaising with the project technical team, the challenge was accepted and Cambs Compressors were appointed to install the pipework.

A challenging project, delivered successfully – on budget and on time!

With the delivery deadline dramatically condensed through the walk-out of the incumbent installation team, there was no time to be lost. The Cambs Compressor teams worked extended hours to bring the project back on the planned timescales. The project was successfully commissioned when the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) was officially opened in March 2016. The ERF enables the City of Peterborough to divert 85,000 tonnes of residual (black bag) waste from landfill each year, for the next 30 years, recovering vital energy, and also offering the city another important step towards a decentralised energy network, with a generating capacity of 7.25 megawatts (enough to power 16,000 homes).

Free audit of your compressed air pipework and analysis of hidden energy costs

Cambs Compressors specialise in multiple types of air compression technologies, and are highly skilled in selecting the proper equipment design and layout for your operation.