Successful Project Execution to Replace Four 15-KV Switchgear Lineups and Seven Medium Voltage Motor Control Centers During a 35-Day Turnaround - A Case Study

In many refineries and petrochemical plants, electrical equipment can only be replaced during a turnaround. The turnaround length and work space are key factors for work that can be accomplished within a finite time frame. This paper describes the project execution to successfully complete the 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 turnaround window. The electrical equipment included four 15kV switchgear lineups, seven medium voltage motor control centers and high resistance grounding systems, five 15-kV switchgear relay door upgrades, 21,000 feet of fiber, 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-turnaround staging, and support, as well as the challenges discovered prior to and during the turnaround and how the team resolved the challenges.