POWER September 2017 - 33

TOP PLANTS
1.
Open to the public. Through the construction and operation of the Shakopee Energy
Park, the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency has tried to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship
with the community. Courtesy: Avant Energy
POWER POINTS
Winning Attributes
Fast-start reciprocating engine
technology and liquefied natural
gas backup system offers
flexibility and complements
variable renewable resources.
Located near a residential center,
resulting in additional, unique,
design requirements.
Completed on time and under
budget in just 10 months.
and Azco Inc. and Parsons Electric served
as mechanical and electrical contractors for
power island equipment and the balance of
plant equipment.
The plant broke ground in April 2016 and
was placed into commercial operation on
February 14, 2017, just 10 months later. This
extremely tight construction schedule required
careful coordination, especially when
delivering major equipment.
" We worked very closely with the city and
local authorities to carefully coordinate major
equipment deliveries. Our deliveries of
major equipment occurred during the middle
of the night, so there would be minimal impact
to the surrounding community, " said
Dave Urke, construction site supervisor at
Avant Energy.
Urke noted, in particular, the delivery of
the LNG tank. The tank had to be transported
22 miles from the factory. Transportation and
setting of the tank took 10 hours. " Crews
commenced work at midnight and tank setting
was completed by 10 a.m. the next
morning. Equally impressive, the hoisting on
site by a 550-ton crane and a 450-ton crane
to its final installed location took 14 minutes
from trailer to concrete piers, " he said.
Beyond its unique design requirements,
the plant is also unique in that it uses LNG
as its backup fuel. The project team decided
to incorporate LNG in lieu of a firm gas contract.
In short, the plant's primary supply of
natural gas may be curtailed during times of
high regional demand, such as very cold winter
days, which are all too common in Minnesota.
If this occurs, the facility can operate on
LNG by vaporizing the LNG to its gaseous
state. Through this process, the engine performance
is the same as when operated on
the primary fuel supply.
The LNG is stored in a 99,000-gallon tank.
The LNG housed in the tank provides enough
fuel for the plant to operate for around 22
hours at full capacity. " This unique fuel approach
allows the Agency more flexibility in
its operations strategy, " according to MMPA.
The plant also utilizes efficient heat recovery
technology. Waste heat captured from
the facility's generators supports vaporizing
the LNG, heating incoming natural gas, and
heating basic building systems. Recovered
heat can also be supplied to local businesses.
An Upstanding Citizen
MMPA and Avant are particularly proud of the
" The facility is a great addition to our
growing community. Shakopee Energy Park
provides our residents and businesses with
[a] long-term, efficient, competitive, and
reliable electrical supply ... our community's
future economic development and sustainability
goals are supported. "
-Shakopee Mayor Bill Mars
September 2017 | POWER
www.powermag.com
plant's contribution to the local community.
Shakopee has been attracting large companies,
such as Amazon and Shutterfly, in recent
years, increasing the demand for reliable
electricity access. The city is also home to an
amusement park and a horseracing track,
which is located directly to the north of the
plant. By connecting the energy park directory
to the local distribution system, MMPA
was able to increase electric reliability for
these businesses.
" This facility is a great support to our local
distribution system and helps ensure reliability
on our system, which is especially
important to many of the businesses in our
community, " Crooks said.
The plant is also a part of MMPA's Energy
Education Program, which has provided
learning opportunities for nearly 13,000 elementary
school students through in-school
assemblies and tours since 2010. An effort
was made to use local contractors and businesses,
such as Greystone Construction, in
the construction of the plant, helping create
local jobs.
The plant was opened to the public for a
grand opening on August 1, 2017 (Figure 1).
During the dedication ceremony, Dahlen said,
" Shakopee Energy Park is good for every
MMPA community because it provides power
supply flexibility and protects our members
against price volatility in the marketplace. "
" The facility is a great addition to our
growing community, " Shakopee Mayor Bill
Mars said. " Shakopee Energy Park provides
our residents and businesses with [a]
long-term, efficient, competitive, and reliable
electrical supply, which is delivered by
Shakopee Public Utilities. In turn, our community's
future economic development and
sustainability goals are supported. " ■
-Abby L. Harvey is a POWER reporter.
33

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POWER September 2017

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