The short answer
On a new build power station the fire mains and suppression pipework go in before anything else can be commissioned, so the pipework contractor is usually the first trade on site. KBVI opened the BELCO 60MW plant in Bermuda and the 27.8MW Discovery Park biomass plant in Kent that way, both for BWSC.
Why the fire mains go in first
Nothing on a power station can be commissioned until the fire protection is in place. External fire mains, hydrants, internal hose points and suppressant systems are the first pipework on the ground, which puts the pipework contractor on site before most other trades and makes its programme everyone else's programme.
What follows
Once the fire mains are in, the same crew moves onto the process lines. At Discovery Park that meant ammonia, demin water, cooling water, steam, oil, hydraulic and the argon fire suppressant lines through the whole plant, over two years. The contractor that was first on is often one of the last off, because the plant cannot start up until the pipework is in.
What the EPC contractor gets
One pipework subcontractor from open ground to handover, on the programme, on a live construction site alongside the other trades. KBVI has done it twice for BWSC and is based in Scunthorpe, mobilised anywhere.
- 01Fire mains, hydrants, hose points and suppressant systems first
- 02Process lines to follow, fabricated to drawings and site run
- 03First trade on site, one of the last off
- 04On the record: Bermuda 2019, Kent
Do you take the whole pipework package or only the fire mains?
Either. On both power station builds on the record KBVI took the full process pipework package after the fire mains.
Will you work overseas?
Yes. Hamilton, Bermuda is on the record.
