Power plant gets pumps upgrade
24 Feb 2014
Engineers from pumps and valves manufacturer KSB were selected to provide new energy efficient pumps at Didcot B power plant to enhance its cooling water make up system.
In 2012, with the closure of Didcot A power station imminent, engineers from RWE NPower were tasked with enhancing the cooling water make up system to match the reduction in demand for cooling water at the remaining Didcot B plant.
Engineers from KSB surveyed the existing pumping station with a remit to replace the old units with more efficient pumps that matched the new requirements.
KSB Energy projects team selected two pumps from the KSB Omega pump range to replace the old units in the CWMU pump house at Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire.
The original pumps were rated to supply 4248m³/hr of screened river water to Didcot A - which closed in March 2013 - and Didcot B power station.
After the closure of Didcot A, demand for make-up water reduced to 1947m³/hr.
Installation, carried out by RWE Technical Support Group, was phased to ensure the operation of the power plant remained uninterrupted.
One of the key challenges KSB faced was the limited space available within the dry well.
For operational reasons the existing valves and pipe work could not be removed, meaning the replacement pump had to be capable of being installed between the valve faces. The compact design of the Omega pump made it the most suitable choice for this application.
RWE reported in November last year of the reliable operation of the KSB pumps at the Didcot B plant upgrade.
