Successful Project Execution Replacing Four 15-kV Switchgear Lineups and Seven Medium-Voltage Motor Control Centers: A Case Study During a 35-Day Turnaround

In many refineries and petrochemical plants, electrical equipment can be replaced only during a turnaround (TA). The TA length and workspace are key factors for work that can be accomplished within a finite time frame. This article describes the project execution used to successfully complete a scope of work in the allotted time. At an Olefins plant on the Texas Gulf Coast, a large amount of electrical equipment was removed and installed at six different locations during a 35-day TA window. The electrical equipment included four 15-kV switchgear (SWGR) lineups, seven medium-voltage (MV) motor control centers (MCCs) and high-resistance grounding systems, five 15-kV SWGR relay door upgrades, 21,000 ft of fiber-optic cable, four battery banks, two capacitor switching devices, four automation controllers, and four 15-kV feeder cables. The project execution topics covered are engineering, procurement, expediting, planning, pre-TA staging, and support as well as the challenges discovered prior to and during the TA and how the team overcame them.