Thermal Power Plant, Saint-Pierre, Réunion Island

OPW products provide safe easy-install solution for new diesel ethanol Reunion Island power plant

Project overview

Reunion Island’s thermal power plant used a combination of KPS and Fibrelite products to overcome many issues including a tight installation schedule, the complexity of a narrow site and harsh weather conditions.

Problem

The thermal power plant generator turbine uses Diesel and Ethanol, the switch between these two fuels is quite complex and the process must be followed carefully. The challenge was to use pipes that have low head losses and are compatible with both fuels. Due to Ethanol’s potential to generate charge, it requires the highest possible level of safety.

The site is quite narrow (narrow plot stretching lengthwise) and the different contractors: civil construction, piping, turbine installers, and similar needed to work as quickly as possible to avoid blocking the site and slowing the build schedule. Réunion Island is also prone to hurricane and tropical heavy rains, meaning the sumps needed to be completely liquid tight.

The Fibrelite lifting handles are specifically designed for operator use at the optimum ergonomic lifting range

Solution

KPS piping ensured a compact solution, allowing an excellent ratio between effective diameter of fuel passage and compact external diameter, limiting the required size of the trenches. KPS’ electrostatically safe conductive piping was used to provide the highest possible level of safety for the Ethanol’s potential to generate charge.

The installer friendly fittings (KPS double wall fittings require less welds than any other system) saved a substantial amount of time during installation, whilst Fibrelite’s vacuum tested sumps proved the perfect solution as the only truly liquid-tight solutions available. A full training session was been performed on site by a KPS / Fibrelite certified trainer in order to ensure a high quality installation.

KPS Piping and Fibrelite sumps and chambers were installed

Result

OPW provided a compact solution combining KPS piping and Fibrelite sumps, which fit perfectly in the narrow site configuration within a tight timeframe, including a full certified onsite training session ensuring a high-quality installation.

Authors:

Picture of David Holmes

David Holmes

Author Bio
Picture of Oscar Garcia

Oscar Garcia

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