Facing Big Challenges

Many Alberta utility companies face the challenge of meeting oil sands developers’ increasing demands for power. Project delays have become common due to the slow process of building new permanent infrastructure, and it has even been known to take up to three times longer than the initial time esti­mate over the course of grid power installa­tion. The result is costly downtime, budget overruns and lost production.

Faced with this uncertainty, operators often turn to their existing contractors for interim power delivery solutions. However, if not properly managed by a temporary power specialist, this approach can have damaging consequences.

For example, power requirements are often overestimated, which results in the use of oversized-units, or more generators than needed to meet demand.

When equipment is not used to its full capacity, it is more likely to break down, it’s more costly to run and less efficient.

More generators on site also means a greater risk of spills and unnecessary emissions.

With the remoteness of the various oil sands’ sites, coupled with the extremes of winter temperatures, understanding how to get the best out of suitable equipment is key. And since power is required for all site services, including safety, communi­cation, heat and light, having a compre­hensive fail-safe approach is essential.

Consolidated Power Strategies

The answer is to institute a site-wide power strategy with a temporary utility services provider, working in tandem with contractors.

During the engineering and design stage, power requirements are calculat­ed based on planned project schedules, and work to be performed for each area of the development.

Next, a power plan is devised that includes the installation of all transmission cables, the placement of generators and power distribution centers (PDCs). With all the permanent power cables installed in the early stages of the project, the site can quickly evolve from temporary to utility power when the time is right.

A major advantage of this approach is that the operator has no capital outlay on power generation equipment.

In addition, centralizing generators allows for larger units to be paralleled, making the level of power more easily controllable to ramp up or down as need­ed. Consolidating the units in key areas allows for proper site pads to be construct­ed, reducing the likelihood of spillages. Fuelling and servicing costs are also lower.

Powerful Partnership

Temporary power suppliers offer on-site support services that are critical to the delivery of dependable power, including regular maintenance and equipment checks.

Technical support staff can also respond immediately to power interrup­tions to minimize downtime and help ensure that the right levels of provision are always achievable.

In a recent example, a temporary power specialist providing adjustable power and heating for an oil sands proj­ect needed to cover a range of 2.5 MW to over 15 MW in the life of a project.

When grid power was further delayed, the specialist quickly provided an addi­tional 8 MW. All equipment was adapted for the harsh environment and had 24/7 support and servicing.

In summary, significant benefits are likely on any oil sands development where a consolidated site-wide power strategy is devised in advance using a specialist temporary provider. These include the ability to adapt quickly to the changing demands of a project, cost sav­ings and meeting project deadlines.

Recommended questions for temporary power supplier

• Does consolidated power supply with distribution make sense for this project?

• What is the probability of utility delays?

• Will the project require the flexibility to increase or decrease power supply to meet demand?

• How much redundant critical power is required as contingency to maintain the project schedule or production?

• Can we reduce environmental spills and emissions?

• Is a natural gas option available?

• Who will be servicing the equipment to ensure reliable power delivery?

• Are there any specific environmental conditions, such as extreme cold tempera­tures, ice formation or large snow accumulation that must be addressed?

Information for this article provided by Sue McGregor, Vice-president and Area General Manager for Western Canada, Aggreko LLC