Client Benefits
- Improved safety
- Minimal impact on operations during construction
- Reduced or eliminate down time due to undersized electrical service
- Power availability for future expansion and upgrades
- Reduced maintenance while improving reliability
EEC (Eta Engineering Consultants) was approached by a major oil company to review existing electrical service equipment vs. demand at a truck transport loading terminal abutting a major waterway. The elevation of the terminal in relation to the flood plain of the adjacent waterway caused the elevation of existing equipment to also be of concern.
Upon completion of the review, EEC was tasked to design a terminal service and electrical switch gear upgrade along with an arc flash analysis of the new equipment. EEC worked with the client to meet the electrical demand requirements of the existing terminal equipment with adequate additional power and switch gear for future terminal expansions and upgrades.
The primary concern with the existing electrical service was that the transformer and switchgear were undersized for peak demand for the current terminal equipment. This was creating frequent power outages and damaged equipment. In addition, there were several upcoming plant upgrade and expansion projects planned which would increase the terminal electrical demand.
A secondary concern was that the existing switch gear and building did not have adequate space for any additional electrical demand or equipment.
Additionally, most of the motor starters were located below the 100 year flood elevation and were antiquated.
The scope included the design of an electrical service upgrade, MCC, MCC building, design and scheduling to maintain operations during construction, re-feeding overhead wiring to above and below grade conduit, re-feeding equipment, relocating the vapor recovery unit power and controls to the new MCC building, tank farm lighting upgrade, permitting and an arc flash analysis/mitigation of the new system.
This included in part:
- A 12×16 ft. elevated building installed above the 100 year flood elevation, to be used as an electrical room
- A Motor Control Center with sufficient capacity to handle planned loads and future growth. Install starters for planned projects, and back-feed the existing electrical service
- A 480V pad-mount transformer to feed the new MCC
- Reuse existing feeders where practical
- Install new motor feeder conduits/wiring for new pumps from new MCC
- Demo equipment on existing electrical racks that will be incorporated into the new MCC
- Relocate VRU control panel from its present location to the interior of the new MCC building
- Maintain adequate vehicular clearance in and around VRU (projected vehicular clearance would be 20+ feet)
- Tank Farm Lighting Upgrade
- Arc Flash Study and Mitigation
Key Features
- Assessment of existing electrical demand and future expansion requirements
- Design and schedule to maintain terminal operations with minimal down time for switchover
- Equipment at or above the 100 year flood elevation
- Arc Flash Study
