Denca upgrades NI power plant
24 Jan 2011
Widnes, UK – The AES Ballylumford gas-fired electricity power station in Northern Ireland is seeking to introduce a more streamlined way of identifying and undertaking necessary MEI plant modifications with associated documentation and support work.
The upgrade agenda has seen the power company engage Denca Controls as contractor of choice for controls-related reparations, modifications and upgrades.
Denca had previously worked with AES Ballylumford on various projects, including the development, installation and commissioning of a new SCADA system for monitoring compressor status at the site’s electricity generating “B” Station.
Widnes-based Denca is now to provide a dedicated resource working to a set of jointly agreed guidelines and cost matrices, towards creating a smoother pathway for all necessary controls.
The remit includes a recently launched project to complete a significant control system upgrade at the site: it will replace 18 legacy chart recorders used to monitor instrument signals with new SCADA technology.
Following a design study, Denca gave AES Ballylumford a fixed-price quotation for the SCADA upgrade project, covering full software design, SCADA graphics, event/alarm logging and full commissioning of the system.
The project will enhance the reporting capabilities at the Northern Irish plant, while data retrieval and system ’snapshot’ capabilities will also be significantly improved, said Denca.
In total, Denca will provide a new SCADA system for each of the power station’s three generating units. Each system is to be supported by two plasma displays and dual back-up systems to guard against redundancy.
This solution includes Rockwell Automation’s RS View SCADA software interfaced with Allen Bradley ControlLogix Processors and IO.
“AES Ballylumford has once again demonstrated that it is committed to an ethos of good corporate governance and is acutely aware of the benefits that a policy of due diligence regarding its operating technologies can provide,” said Alan Brennan, joint managing director at Denca Controls.
