Temporary Power Keeps Production Flowing
Food manufacturing sites typically require a large power demand, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, equipment that handles and distribute the load need replacing from time to time, and temporary power is needed to support site power requirements - so the business can keep functioning as normal. This was the case for a large food manufacturer and their M&E Contractor, as they turned to Power Electrics for support.
The Challenge
Two of the Main Low Voltage (LV) Distribution Boards needed replacing whilst the day-to-day operations continued as normal. As a result, temporary generators were required to feed 18 sub-distribution boards downstream. In order to supply this client with sufficient temporary power, 5.5MVA of generation was required, leading to the first challenge of access and space for 14 generators.
Along with space for the generators, cable routes and connection points needed to be located, and efficiently managed to not disrupt daily operations. A task made more difficult by the age of the site, meaning drawings and plans were no longer accurate. On top of these challenges there were also restrictions on downtime during the transition from mains to temporary power.
The job was a tremendous success, especially with the volume of equipment, age of the building, tight deadlines and resources required. Utilising many smaller synchronised generators ensured the customer received a reliable source of temporary power, did not affect logistical operations around the site and a more sustainable fuel consumption.
The Solution
To take on these challenges, Power Electrics provided 5.5 MVA of power spread across 14 different sized generators at four locations around the site. To achieve this a seamless, efficient project, full project management/planning was required, firstly identifying, and confirming which sub-distribution boards would be affected by the works. This was made more difficult given the nature of the site and its age, so drawings and site plans were not 100% accurate. Power Electrics’ project management team worked with the client and the site staff to clarify what supplies were needed, a schedule was developed to maintain power during the transition. Enabling us to ensure sufficient resources were on hand to minimise downtime and business interruption.
The 14 generators required consisted of:
9 x 500kVA generators
2 x 150kVA generators
2 x 275kVA generators
1 x 200kVA generators
To mitigate any risk further, Power Electrics were on hand for the entire project length with full 24/7 onsite engineering support and fuel management. Allowing the client to rest easy that everything was taken care of in terms of temporary power.
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