TEPPFA - Reference Project in Utilities

When planning a construction project, environmental considerations can be just as difficult to accommodate as cost and time factors. However, the new Tessenderlo power plant illustrates that all three constraints can be achieved perfectly for the generation of power for generations.

Modern Steam and Gas (STAG) power stations need water cooling to operate in the most economical way. This was certainly the case for the turnkey construction of a 420 Megawatt generating station in Tessenderlo in the East of Belgium. The project called T-Power was commissioned by three partners: Tessenderlo Group, International Power Ltd. and Siemens Project Ventures.

The proximity of the Albert Canal seemed ideal for supplying water to the combined cycle power plant and for collecting residual cooling water. The only question remained: what kind of pipe network could be supplied and commissioned within a very short time horizon and satisfy the project requirements of cost, performance and sustainability.

Recognition

Construction project managers for the power plant undertook a critical review of options. Their pipe solution came in the form of 5.5 km of polyethylene (PE 100 SDR 11) pressure pipe with a diameter of 500 mm to draw the cooling water from the canal. 5.5 km of polyethylene (PE100 SDR 11) pressure pipe with a diameter of 250 mm were also chosen to transport residual cooling water back to the same canal.

Recognition for the benefits of plastic pipe technology will be threefold since a further 5.5 km of communication cables supplied on bulk reels were selected to service the generating process and the pumping system.

"Syn-energy"

Once commissioned in 2011 and thanks to its low carbon dioxide emissions, the new Tessenderlo facility will produce an output of 57% making it one of Europe’s most efficient plants. The provision of these plastic pipes satisfies all the project criteria. For example, installation costs are kept to a minimum because fewer joints are needed through the delivery of 22 meter pipe lengths. Maintenance costs will also be negligible. And from a sustainable perspective, these pipes have a low environmental footprint.

With a long expected service life of at least 100 years, these pipes represent a wise investment. Even when their service life has expired, their sustainability and asset value will be further appreciated through recycling.

Compared to the non-plastic variety, these pipes clearly command shorter intervals between design and delivery. Yet it is perhaps the human component that makes it all possible. A leading spokesman for the pipe maker commented as follow:

"A combination of good planning, close cooperation with the T-Power project leader and a great deal of flexibility from all the people involved and from the pipe material itself has ensured that we were able to pull this off together. That’s what we call syn-energy."

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