At the end of summer, a number of commissioning tests were successfully completed, including a site blackout test to ensure the facility can safely shut itself down in the case of mains power failure, BWV’s boiler safety checks, soot blower maintenance to clean the boiler drum tubes in the furnace, and an inspection of the steam drum, which holds the water for making steam.
Read MoreIn June, the construction of the facility’s waste processing areas was completed, and initial cold commissioning tests took place to enable the processing of waste when the facility is operational.
Read MoreToday, the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility received its first waste delivery as planned. This is part of the ongoing commissioning phase to get the Facility ready for handover and to become operational later in the summer.
Urbaser Balfour Beatty Gloucestershire has announced that the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility is now preparing to enter the next commissioning phase.
This significant construction milestone will commence by the end of May, and is a statutory requirement of all Energy from Waste facilities before it can commence operations. Urbaser Balfour Beatty Gloucestershire will receive its first deliveries of waste from June 30th.
Commissioning is a series of tests undertaken in logical order. The next phase will involve testing of systems, including the drying out of the refractory and steam blowing alongside others. Once these are completed and signed off, the facility will test the full operational system using waste as a fuel.
Each phase of the commissioning process is interdependent, with the preceding test informing the timing of subsequent tests. After analysing data and measuring performance, Urbaser Balfour Beatty Gloucestershire will receive the first deliveries of waste on the 30th June, with all additional deliveries starting within a week of that date.
The tests are not representative of daily operations but will confirm that the equipment is working correctly and safely, and operations are able to commence this summer.
Commenting on this milestone, Craig Kirk, Project Commercial Director, Urbaser Balfour Beatty Gloucestershire said:
“Commissioning is a routine element of construction for power facilities such as the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility. It is not a time exact science as there are many elements to it, particularly in a complex engineering build such as this. Each week, we analyse performance and as a result make adjustments to the process and scheduling in order to make the facility ready for operations. It is critically important that we test that all the equipment and processes are working as they should before the facility is operational. As part of this, we are working with the Environment Agency who are monitoring the performance throughout.”
This phase starts with the pre-prep tests involving the drying out of the refractory and steam blowing, leading to the first firing of waste, both of which may emit a noise and a plume of steam which may be noticeable in close proximity to the site.
Commissioning will be complete once the facility has met the conditions and limits as set in the Environmental Permit, having been monitored by the Environment Agency throughout the process. At this point, the facility will be certified and approved for full operational use.
For more information and to read the commissioning FAQs, please visit www.ubbgloucestershire.co.uk/hot-commissioning-faqs
Construction pressure tests at the facility have now been completed and cold commissioning of the equipment is progressing to schedule. The facility’s distributed control system, which transmits signals to each piece of equipment, has been successfully commissioned and approved as fit for operation, as well as the water treatment facility that supports the heating and cooling systems.
Read MoreApplications are now open for the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Community Fund that will support local environmental and social projects.
Constituted community and parish organisations from Hardwicke, Quedgeley, Brookthorpe-with-Whaddon, Haresfield, Standish, Moreton Valence, Harescombe, and Whitminster are able to apply for a share of the £25,000 fund to support projects that will benefit the environment or the local community.
Read MoreConstruction of the facility is almost complete with most of the physical elements having been installed. The final parts of the building’s facade are being fitted ready for installation of the external louvres, which control air movement coming in and out, due to start in February.
Read MoreDuring November, activities have continued to increase as construction enters its final stages. The boiler has been fitted with refractory lining to protect the furnace shell from the high temperatures of the grate, and external insulation has been fitted to its superheaters - these increase steam temperature and, in turn, the facility’s energy efficiency.
Read MoreDuring November, activities have continued to increase as construction enters its final stages. The boiler has been fitted with refractory lining to protect the furnace shell from the high temperatures of the grate, and external insulation has been fitted to its superheaters
Read MoreUrbaser Balfour Beatty (UBB) has successfully energised the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility by connecting the facility to the National Grid and powering the site for initial commissioning trials.
Read MoreDuring September, a special type of protective metal-welded cladding was fitted to parts of the inside of the boiler to prevent erosion by the flue gases during operation. The next stage is to install a refractory lining to the hottest parts of the boiler to protect the furnace shell, in the lower part of the boiler where the waste is incinerated, from the high temperatures it will endure.
Read MoreOver summer, we successfully completed the boiler pressure test on schedule. This demonstrated the build integrity of the boiler, and allows follow-on activities to take place, such as installation of the cladding welds inside the boiler, refractory lining which acts as an internal insulation layer, and external insulation. We also successfully carried out the fire water tank integrity test.
Read MoreOver summer, we successfully completed the boiler pressure test on schedule. This demonstrated the build integrity of the boiler, and allows follow-on activities to take place, such as installation of the cladding welds inside the boiler, refractory lining which acts as an internal insulation layer, and external insulation. We also successfully carried out the fire water tank integrity test.
Read MoreAll elements of the construction and process equipment installation are progressing at a fast rate, and almost all of the structural steel supporting the process equipment is now in place.
Read MoreIt has always been a priority that the location of the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility (previously known as Javelin Park) would eventually become a wildlife corridor, linking various local natural habitats for animals, and attracting them back to the area following the planned disruption of building works.
Read MoreUrbaser Balfour Beatty have announced that a construction milestone is on track to be achieved by the end of July. The boiler pressure test is a regulatory requirement under the Pressure Equipment Directive for the construction of all Energy from Waste facilities.
Read MoreUrbaser Balfour Beatty have produced a short reportage film about the construction progress on the site at Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility.
Read MoreThere has been a lot of activity to install the boiler, including operatives and welders working in two shifts to progress the works. All of their hard work means that the boiler pressure test is set to take place as on schedule this month.
Read MoreHere you can read about the latest progress on the construction of Gloucestershire’s Energy from Waste facility. Overall, construction is progressing at a great pace, particularly the civil engineering groundworks, and the erection of the steel work to support the buildings and the various components of process equipment.
Read MoreThis project update bulletin provides the latest progress on the construction of Gloucestershire’s Energy from Waste facility. The project successfully achieved a notable milestone this week. The 70 metre tall chimney stack was safely delivered and erected on site for the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility.
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