E-Crane® adds hopper and barge handling equipment to its sixth project with AEP
On August 20th, 2008, E-Crane technicians completed the mechanical assembly of a 1500B Series machine at Ohio Valley Electric Corporation’s (OVEC) Kyger Creek plant in Cheshire, Ohio.
The completion of this project marks a significant milestone in the progression of E-Crane International USA as a provider of “turnkey” engineering services in the bulk material handling sector. Along with the model 10290 pedestal mounted bulk material handling machine, E-Crane USA was the general contractor for providing the receiving hopper as well as the barge handling system. E-Crane International USA also served as the general contractor for on-site installation services. The Kyger Creek project represents the sixth project between E-Crane® and AEP further establishing AEP as E-Crane International USA’s best customer.
The 1500B Series E-Crane® and supporting equipment at Kyger Creek will be providing the plant with limestone for the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) process. The E-Crane® will unload bulk river barges into a receiving hopper where a conveyor will take the material to the plant. The limestone will be used to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in a process commonly described as “scrubbers.” Kyger Creek’s FGD system plans to go operational in the first quarter of 2009.
Steve Suter, E-Crane Service Manager, and his installation team of Jason Kruse, Bryan Boyd, and Justin Angle executed a complicated water-based erection in record fashion. First, the E-Crane components were trucked to Port Amherst, WV, an offsite sub-assembly area, where they were loaded onto work barges.
On the way to the plant via the Kanawha River, the team stopped by Kanawha Manufacturing’s Buffalo WV facility to load the fully erected limestone receiving hopper. Once on site at Kyger Creek, the team successfully set the hopper and barge haul winches using a barge mounted lift crane. The next order of business was to erect the E-Crane®. Two days was all it took for the team to have the 1500B Series E-Crane® fully assembled.
At this point, Aquarius Marine began working on the barge haul mechanical installation while the E-Crane team completed electrical and hydraulic terminations on the crane. During this time it was also E-Crane’s responsibility to supervise the local trades. Mr. Suter collaborated with both Brown Electrical and Bowen Engineering for various installation services.
In just three weeks the E-Crane team completed the entire installation. The quality and speed of the installation can be credited directly to the outstanding partnership between E-Crane® and AEP. Bob Follmer, AEP Project Manager, and Mr. Suter worked together throughout the entire duration of the project to ensure that the best possible material handling solution would be presented to OVEC. As of today, all that remains to be completed on the project is the testing and tuning of the E-Crane® and barge haul system followed by the operator and maintenance training.
This is the sixth of seven planned cooperation’s between E-Crane® and AEP. The relationship between the two companies is a testament to AEP’s desire for energy efficient and environmentally friendly bulk material handling equipment and E-Crane’s ability to support their desire with the required project management, parts, and maintenance services.
The success of the Kyger Creek project bodes well for both AEP and E-Crane® since a similar project is underway at Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation’s (IKEC) Clifty Creek plant in Madison, Indiana. Once again, E-Crane® will provide a “turnkey” material handling solution for the new FGD system. The on-site installation at Clifty Creek is projected to being in the spring of 2009 with the FGD system going operational sometime in 2010.
Ohio Valley Electric Corporation
OVEC and its wholly owned subsidiary, Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation (IKEC), were formed in 1952 with the purpose of meeting the electric energy demand of uranium enrichment facilities located in the Ohio River Valley area. OVEC’s 1,085 MW Kyger Creek plant and IKEC’s 1,302 MW Clifty Creek plant both began operation in 1955. Over the years the demand of electricity by the enrichment facilities declined and OVEC began selling more of its generating capacity to its owners or their affiliated power companies.
In 2003, the agreement between OVEC and the federal government to provide electric power to the enrichment facilities was terminated. Since that time, all of OVEC’s generating capacity has been available to its owners or their affiliated power companies. In 2006, OVEC announced the plans for an $820 million investment in environmental controls at both the Kyger Creek and Clifty Creek plants. A 1500 B-Series E-Crane® will be installed at each plant to provide material handling service for the planned FGD systems.
American Electric Power Company, Inc.
As one of the largest investor-owned electric public utilities in the United States, AEP provides generation, transmission and distribution services to over 5 million customers in eleven states through its seven regional operating companies. Under the regional companies, eleven local subsidiaries provide electricity to customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. AEP generates more than $12 billion in revenue annually and employs more than 19,000 people across the US.
AEP’s assets include 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, 39,000 miles of transmission lines including 2,116 miles of 765kV lines, and 210,685 miles of overhead and underground distribution lines. AEP manages its coal transportation and logistics with over 8,300 rail cars, more than 2,600 hopper barges, 51 towboats, and one active coal-handling terminal. Annually, AEP generating facilities consume approximately 76 million tons of coal.
OVEC hired AEP to serve as overall project manager for the Kyger Creek FGD project including licensing, engineering, design, and procurement. AEP has built-in incentive as well since it owns a 45% stake in OVEC and AEP’s regional utilities combine as the biggest consumer of OVEC generated electricity.
Source: Steve Osborne, E-Crane International USA
