Emerson Process Management has been awarded a $15 million contract to engineer and install its Ovation™ control system at Craig Station, the second-largest power generating facility in Colorado. Implementing a common automation platform based on Ovation technology is expected to enhance reliability, efficiency and availability at the facility.
Implementing a common automation platform based on Ovation™ technology expected to enhance reliability, efficiency and availability at Craig Station
PITTSBURGH (April 7, 2014) — Emerson Process Management has been awarded a $15 million contract to engineer and install its Ovation™ control system at Craig Station, the second-largest power generating facility in Colorado. The three-unit, 1,311-MW plant is an important regional baseload resource that is operated by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale electric power supplier serving 44 electric cooperatives with approximately 1.5 million consumers in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.
“This plant plays a critical role in satisfying the region’s demand for affordable and reliable electricity,” said Barry Ingold, Acting Senior Vice President of Production, Tri-State. “For such an important project, we considered a number of factors. Ultimately, our selection of Emerson was based on the company‘s reputation in the industry and our own experience utilizing their control technology at our Nucla and Escalante power plants, along with the depth of their cyber security offering.”
An Ovation system at each of the three coal-fired Craig Station units will monitor and control the boiler and turbine. Unifying boiler and turbine operations under a single, common automation platform will provide improved unit stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies; tighter overall control of plant operations; and a more concise view of key plant and turbine parameters.
Ovation technology will also control the burner management system, sootblower, fly ash system, scrubbers and balance-of-plant processes, as well as coal handling and other common systems. Emerson’s comprehensive automation solution for Craig Station also includes a high-fidelity simulator for operator training, EDS™ technology that enables management to monitor plant performance remotely, and its Ovation Security Center, which streamlines the execution of cyber-security measures related to compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards.
“We’re gratified by Tri-State’s continued confidence in our people and technology,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson Process Management’s Power & Water Solutions. “Receiving this additional contract energizes us to continue to do our best work, deliver great value and exceed Tri-State’s expectations.”
The Ovation systems will be installed during three successive spring outages, beginning in 2015.
