pwr_july-2024 - 19

REINVENTION AWARD
gas turbine model. While Siemens Energy
launched the technology following
a conservative approach-including a
rigorous, nearly decade-long evolutionary
development phase and testing at
a full-scale rig near Berlin-Morrow
was ultimately slated to become " serial
number two " for the 9000HL in the 60Hz
market. But for Siemens Energy, the
Morrow repowering project's legacy is
more noteworthy because it is also the
world's first baseload repower project to
feature an SGT6-9000HL.
As Hans Thermann, head of 9000HL
Product Portfolio Management for Siemens
Energy, told POWER, the HL class
was designed " with the energy transition
in mind " to support the coal-to-gas
shift. While based on Siemens Energy's
legacy of H-, F-, and E-class experience
and architecture, the advanced air-cooled
gas turbine line incorporates technological
advancements like an advanced combustion
system to enable higher firing
temperatures (above 1,600C), efficient
internal cooling features for blades and
vanes, and a proven rotor architecture.
These attributes are integral for the
high efficiencies and high ramp rates
that coal-to-gas repower projects must
achieve to thrive, and bolster reliability
and affordability in modern power systems,
Thermann said. At Morrow, the effort
resulted in " roughly a 50% reduction "
in carbon dioxide emissions, he said.
Cooperative's confidence in the technology
was cemented during the negotiation
stage when Siemens Energy offered
a comprehensive long-term service
agreement (LTSA) to maintain the peak
operating efficiency of the gas turbine and
generator throughout the project's lifecycle.
The contract covered parts, repairs,
field services, program management,
and remote monitoring and diagnostics,
which are part of Siemens Energy's Omniverse
Digital Services portfolio.
Meanwhile, as part of the LTSA, Siemens
Energy also hired a dedicated
technical field adviser, who worked at
the site for a year during the construction
phase to address potential technical
issues. According to Neal Hackett, Siemens
Energy's Service Programs Portfolio
manager, the arrangement was crucial
in establishing a collaborative and transparent
partnership from the beginning,
given the first-of-a-kind nature of some
of the components.
Both Siemens Energy and Cooperative
were keen to align to ensure the end product
was tightly optimized to fit Morrow's
reliability purpose. Cooperative ultimately
July 2024 | POWER
extended its contract to keep the technical
field adviser on for one year after the
project went commercial, Hackett noted.
A Lean, Employee-Led Success
While the Morrow Repower Project's
technology pioneering is significant, the
efficiency with which Cooperative-a financially
constrained not-for-profit run by
about 450 employees-completed this
mammoth undertaking is more profound.
Smith told POWER the project's objectives
were met well ahead of the fiveyear
schedule that Cooperative's board
set out in 2018. More remarkably, the
project achieved commercial operation
significantly under budget-with savings
estimated at more than $60 million.
Underlying the project's stunning success
is that Cooperative set out on the
project with a hands-on but lean mindset
that considered its commitment to
its employees and surrounding communities.
First, it contracted engineering
services firm Burns & McDonnell as the
owner's engineer for the project. But rather
than pursuing a conventional engineering,
procurement, and construction (EPC)
contract, the co-op managed the project
in-house alongside Burns & McDonnell.
Smith explained: " We paid them to
provide essential services, but all of the
contracts were on our papers. They had
no skin in the game like an EPC would.
Basically, all the risk was Cooperative Energy's. "
Smith said the project involved
at least 57 contracts-35 for equipment
procurement and 22 for construction and
services. The strategy alone resulted in an
estimated $50 million in savings, he said.
" And the beauty for us is that we got to
control [all parts of the job] from project
inception all the way to the end, " he said.
More notable is that the approach relied
heavily on Morrow's staff, which Cooperative
had already pared down from 110 to
61 through a " natural attrition " strategy
that initially sought to avoid layoffs when
the plant's future was uncertain. Supplemented
by Burns & McDonnell staff and
contractors, the employees took on extraordinary
ownership of the project, executing
multiple roles during all phases,
including demolition, commissioning, and
startup of the new unit.
Project management was also lean,
spearheaded by Cannon alongside a
single construction manager, a small
supply chain department that handled
equipment procurement, and a legal department
that handled contracts. Cooperative
also managed to contract highly
rated talent. " We had the cream of the
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POWER POINTS
Winning Attributes
✔ The Morrow Repower Project
showcases groundbreaking Siemens
Energy HL technology for baseload
operations at a brownfield power
plant.
✔ Cooperative Energy executed the
project in-house, which resulted
in significant budget savings of
$60 million and full control over all
aspects.
✔ Leveraged a lean and proactive
workforce that led vital project
phases, ensuring operational
efficiency and a stellar safety record
while contributing directly to a $12
million cost reduction.
✔ More than 90% of the project
design was completed before
construction began, ensuring a wellprepared
execution.
crop out there at that job site, " Smith
said, partly owing to the lax labor market.
Over the entire project duration, Cooperative
employees collectively invested
nearly 300,000 work hours, while at construction
peak, 400 workers were onsite
at the Morrow Repower Project. Remarkably,
crews accomplished commercial
operations with an almost perfect safety
record-made possible through strict
safety protocols and intensive training.
" They just really put their heart and
soul into it, " Smith stressed. The payoff
was immense. " We have calculated that
our employees contributed over $12 million
to the project budget in reduction of
costs, " he said.
According to Cannon, the project also
benefitted from Cooperative's lengthy and
thorough planning process. " By the time
we broke ground, over 90% of the final
design was complete, " he explained. " We
were, I guess, calculated and deliberate
about that because we wanted to get it
right and not affect our members. This
was the biggest project our company had
ever taken on by far-it was a big deal. "
Smith noted that the payoff will,
however, multiply in the years to come.
" This project truly transformed our cooperative
and positioned us well for the
future, " he said. " We're incredibly proud
of what our team accomplished. " ■
-Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.
19
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