Increasing the capacity of a thermal power plant (36 MW)
The project and its challenges
Bouygues Energies & Services, a large French engineering and construction company, submitted a tender in 2013 for a major energy project: the design-build of a 36 MW thermal power plant on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, for Électricité de France (EDF). The expansion of the existing power plant will supply energy to the French part of the island and allow for the shutdown and dismantling of some sections after the new units have started up. The objective is to ensure a sustainable and a better environmentally friendly power generation. The accuracy and rapid delivery of our team’s estimates helped Bouygues submit a winning financial proposal on time and obtain the contract awarded by EDF. As this is an ongoing project, Seneca acts as a design office, providing the following services :
- Process design (based on the Seneca process package)
- Project cost estimate
- Mechanical and electrical engineering
- Design of control systems
- Risk analyses in compliance with EDF standards
- Environmental impact study based on simulations
- Preparing technical specifications for the call for tenders
- Project drawings
- Pre-operational verification plan
- Technical assistance during start-up.
CLIENT NAME /
Bouygues Energies & Services
PROJECT VALUE /
$50 million
EXECUTION /
2013 – Ongoing
The proposed solution
Contractual strategy
Seneca analyzed the technical sections of the submitted specifications. Making use of the skills and flexibility of our design team, we suggested using a different technology than the one originally planned for the three stationary generators. Purchases were selected so as to avoid over-specification, resulting in significant savings on supply costs. We also extended procurement worldwide by including partners in Europe, America and Asia.
The results
- Increase in construction capacity, particularly by obtaining detailed drawings to maximize the use of local resources
- Significant reduction in procurement costs
- Efficient business processes thanks to extensive use of the latest IT communication platforms (despite multiple time zones).
Our team’s perspective
This project represented a major project management challenge, since it involved international suppliers, a client in France and a team based in Quebec. I am immensely satisfied with our success in this complex work environment and of delivering concrete results to our client.