Click here to enlarge image
Bayji Power Plant
Sept. 29, 2003 -- The USAID/Bechtel Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction Program has released an update on the program's progress so far in repairing the country's power systems.
The Power program consists of reconstructing, repairing, rehabilitating, and upgrading Iraq's power system. This includes generation, transmission, and distribution; communications and control; and institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Electricity (MOE).
The program will be executed by directly procuring needed parts and other materials, managing subcontracts, assigning engineers to support the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) ministerial advisory functions, and providing extensive program management oversight services.
"The resourcefulness of Iraqi engineers is remarkable. Their ability to keep these power plants running at all - with no investment, no spare parts, and no dependable supply of fuel - is a tribute to their ingenuity," commented Dean Hagerty, Project Manager for the Power Program.
Projects and Schedule
At the direction of the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID), Bechtel is implementing a number of projects in the Power sector. These include the Daura Power Plant rehabilitation; Bayji Power Plant rehabilitation; construction of three new power plants with 11 individual 40 MW units in Kirkuk, Mussayyib, and South Baghdad; and upgrading water treatment systems at most operating power plants.
Bechtel is also implementing the following programs to assist in the rebuilding of Iraq's power infrastructure:
Generation Support - Bechtel is providing technical expertise at individual power plants to help optimize generation output. The company resolves technical issues, expedite needed parts, and provide guidance and assistance during critical events - such as a September 2003 fire in the Hartha Thermal Power Plant cable trench.
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Support - Prior to the recent conflict, much-needed material was procured for Iraq's power sector under the UNDP Oil-for-Food program. Procurement of materials under this program is in various phases of completion: in fabrication, ready for shipment, frozen in mid-shipment, etc. Bechtel is helping to coordinate the review of material status and providing logistics support to complete delivery to Iraq.
Outage Support - For many decades, there has been no effective maintenance program in Iraq's power sector. Spare parts are frequently unavailable and there are few experienced maintenance planning personnel. Bechtel has supplied technical expertise to MOE and CPA to assist in developing a sustainable maintenance planning effort.
Transmission Restoration - At the request of USAID and CPA, Bechtel is leading implementation of a program to restore damaged and destroyed 400 kV and 132 kV transmission lines.
CPA Program Support - Bechtel is providing technical expertise to various sections within the Power group of CPA. Examples of our work include development of the MOE operating budget, and support to the 4,400MW and 2004 Electrical Generation programs.
The Power program will be complete by December 2004.
Benefits of the Program
The program will benefit all Iraqi citizens: a stable electrical system providing power to Iraqi consumers for increasing amounts of time until 24/7 supply is achieved. This will foster economic growth, allow continuous water treatment and supply, and improve service in virtually every sector of the economy from health, to fuel, to food supply.
The company expects to employ approximately 68 Iraqi and 15 international subcontractors as part of our USAID contract. Bechtel also expects to hire up to 25 Iraqi engineers with experience in the power industry. Through USAID's program, the reconstruction effort will create about 4,000 temporary jobs and about 250 permanent jobs.
Project/Site Selection
In Power, as with other sectors, Bechtel completed a country-wide assessment of Iraq's power infrastructure. Bechtel has used a systems approach to evaluate its assessment results and categorized reconstruction needs into several broad categories: emergency electricity supply, power plant and transmission rehabilitation, water treatment plant restoration, and new generation and transmission.
Bechtel is in continuous consultation with USAID, CPA, and MOE to prioritize projects identified through the assessment process, and to evaluate and accommodate additional work that has emerged since then. Individual projects will be worked in priority sequence as different funding sources become available.
Work Description
The Power program encompasses a broad range of activities; below are three illustrative examples.
The Hartha Plant is an example of Generation Support. After a recent fire, Bechtel's team mobilized immediately to help restoration of plant service. Bechtel is recommending schedule saving methodologies, developing detailed material lists, preparing requisitions for purchase, and have prepared a completion schedule to validate the forecasted return to service date.
The Daura Plant consists of four thermal units and four combustion turbine units. Units 5 & 6 were built by Siemens (Kraftwerk Union) from 1978 to 1982 and are currently dismantled for complete boiler refurbishment. Our work covers turbine refurbishment as well as control system and switchyard component replacement. This work is scheduled for completion by May 2004.
Bechtel supported MOE in development of its operating budget. In the process, the company relied on its contacts in the U.S. utility industry to estimate maintenance costs for reestablishing a spare parts inventory for the country's power system.
Major components in the power program:
• Generation support
• UNDP study
• Outage support
• Transmission restoration
• CPA program support
• Project execution, including plants in Daura, Bayji, Kirkuk, Musayyib, South Baghdad, and water treatment systems at most MOE plants
| 
Articles 
| View all PennWell sites | View all PennWell events
Add RSS Feed
