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Update from Ivanpah – May 2013

Ivanpah Project Is More Than 92 Percent Complete

As the Ivanpah project nears completion, the team continues to move full steam ahead. During the months of February, March and April, more than 1,250 construction workers advanced the project to more than 92 percent complete! To date, more than 153,990 of the project’s total 173,500 heliostats have been installed. Several stunning photos below show recent progress at the site. For a slideshow of all the new photos, click here.

Ivanpah Project Begins “Steam Blows”

Photos by Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images for Bechtel.

In April, the Ivanpah team commenced “steam blows” at Unit 1. During steam blows, upwards of thousands of heliostats are focused on the solar boiler to achieve the desired temperatures, pressures and flow rates. The goal of the steam blows is to clear out any mill scale or debris inside the pipes so it does not damage the steam turbine and other balance of plant equipment once operational. A normal start-up process for any conventional power plant, steam blows are part of the “load ascension” program, which includes focusing an increasing number of heliostats onto the boiler and methodically raising the temperature and pressure of the steam produced. Learn more about steam blows here.

Construction Update
Common Area

In the Common Area, heliostat assembly continues at a brisk pace of 500 per day in the Heliostat Assembly Building and Pad Bonding Building. More than 34,500 assemblies were completed in February-April, bringing the total number of heliostat assemblies completed to date to more than 153,990 or 89 percent. The team also began to dismantle Common Area facilities that are no longer required.

Image of Ivanpah taken in April 2013.
Unit 1 is in the foreground.

Unit 1
Unit 1 is more than 95 percent complete. The team achieved an important milestone in the construction of the project on April 11, when the final heliostat was installed in the Unit 1 solar field, in the area nearest the tower. With all 53,527 heliostats now installed, it improves the team’s start-up capabilities. Atop the tower, the team continued the boiler’s load ascension program to support steam blows. Once the steam blows are complete, the team will remove the temporary steam blow piping and reconnect the piping to design conditions. The next step will be for the boiler to admit steam to the steam turbine. Once the steam turbine generator is synchronized to the grid, the plant will generate electricity to the grid.  As more of the plant’s systems are turned over for startup, demobilization of construction facilities at the power block is underway.

Image of first flux at Unit 2 on May 14, 2013.

Unit 2
On May 14, the Ivanpah team reached another major milestone in the start up of the plant when first flux was achieved at Unit 2. Solar flux is when a significant amount of sunlight is reflected off of the solar field mirrors and concentrated on a surface of the boiler. The flux slowly heated the water inside the boiler to just below the point of steam generation. Overall, Unit 2 is more than 92 percent complete. The team completed the chemical clean of the boiler’s evaporator section in March and began the restoration process in preparation for steam blows in the coming months. On the ground, the team has cleaned up the lay-down area and completed the berm. The installation of the Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) is complete, and the team successfully conducted an air test to confirm the integrity of piping and check for leaks. Insulation of the ACC’s piping and equipment, as well as electrical cable and terminations continues. In the solar field, more than 56,410 heliostats are installed. When complete, the Unit 2 solar field will feature 60,000 heliostats to produce 133 MW gross of clean electrical energy.

Unit 3
Unit 3 is more than 89 percent complete. In April, the team chemically cleaned the boiler in preparation for operation. In the power block, the team continues to commission various systems that support the boiler and is erecting the ACC wind protection walls. In the solar field, more than 47,700 heliostats of the unit’s 60,000 heliostats have been installed to date.

Ivanpah plant begins “steam blows”

The Ivanpah project recently achieved another milestone!  After putting the first flux on the boiler and creating the first steam in late February, the team recently commenced “steam blows.” During steam blows, upwards of thousands of heliostats are focused on the solar boiler to achieve the desired temperatures, pressures and flow rates.

The goal of the steam blows is to clear out any mill scale or debris inside the pipes so it does not damage the steam turbine and other balance of plant equipment once operational. Steam is then distributed to each of the predetermined blow paths, or routes of piping, and released. Targets located inside the pipes are checked to determine the cleanliness factor. The process is repeated until the targets validate that the particulates have been removed.

“Steam blows are a normal start-up process for any conventional steam power plant,” said Mike Bobinecz, Vice President of Construction Management. “This is considered standard industry practice for cleaning steam system circuits.”

Steam blows are part of the “load ascension” program, which includes focusing an increasing number of heliostats onto the boiler and methodically raising the temperature and pressure of the steam produced. Throughout the plant start-up process, the team monitors and tests the plant’s equipment to ensure it is operating properly and safely. Once the steam blows are complete, the team will remove the temporary steam blow piping and reconnect the piping to design conditions.  The next step will be for the boiler to admit steam to the steam turbine. Once the steam turbine generator is synchronized to the grid, the plant will generate electricity to the grid.

Update from Ivanpah – February 2013

Winter Update from the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant

Cooler winter temperatures in December and January could not stop the more than 2,000 construction workers currently working at Ivanpah from advancing the project to more than 84% complete. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Lockard.)

Ivanpah Project Reaches “First Flux” Milestone

The Ivanpah team reached a major milestone in the start up of the solar plant in late February! On February 25th, more than one thousand heliostats focused onto the Ivanpah Unit 1 solar receiver, creating the “first flux.” Solar flux is when a significant amount of sunlight is reflected off of the solar field mirrors. The flux slowly heated the water inside the boiler to just below the point of steam generation. Before today’s first flux, the maximum amount of heliostats aimed at the boiler was 5-10 at a time for heliostat calibration. Learn more about the significance of first flux here.

Construction Update
Common Area

In the Common Area, the team continues to push ahead with heliostat assemblies in the Heliostat Assembly Building and Pad Bonding Buildings, regularly completing more than 500 heliostats each day. More than 11,000 assemblies were completed in January – that is enough mirrors to cover nearly 40 NFL football fields! Southern California Edison continues to make progress on the substation and transmission project.

Unit 1

Unit 1 is more than 90% complete. The boiler’s evaporator section has been chemically cleaned in preparation for operation. Next, the system will undergo steam blows to clear out any debris inside the pipes so that it does not damage the steam turbine once operational. Testing of the tuned mass damper – a device that is mounted in tall structures to reduce any tower movement caused by wind or seismic activity – is complete and construction has commenced on the permanent elevator for the Unit 1 tower. On the ground, the air-cooled condenser (ACC) is nearly ready for operation after successful completion of an air test to confirm the integrity of piping and check for leaks. As construction in the power block area is completed in the next couple of weeks, the laydown area for power block materials will be cleared and the remaining pylons and heliostats will be installed. The solar field team continues commissioning the heliostats in advance of system start up. Prior to commissioning, project electricians wire heliostats together and connect them to the communication and power distribution units (CPDUs). BrightSource technicians then calibrate each individual heliostat with the BrightSource SFINCS (Solar Field Integrated Control System) software to ensure accurate aiming at the boiler. The team achieved “first flux,” in late February, marking the first time a significant amount of concentrated sunlight has been focused on the boiler for continued system testing.

Unit 2

Unit 2 is more than 80% complete. In the power block area, the team successfully completed a hydrostatic test of the boiler to confirm the integrity of the boiler by pressurizing it with water to check for leaks. In February, the boiler’s evaporator section will be chemically cleaned in preparation for operation, followed by steam blows in the coming months. On the ground, the ACC is nearly ready for an air test and the solar field team has begun commissioning the installed heliostats. In the solar field, more than 56,000 pylons and 43,000 heliostats have been installed.

Unit 3

Unit 3 is more than 70% complete. In the power block area, the team also completed a hydrostatic test of the boiler in late January and is preparing the boiler’s evaporator section for a chemical cleaning. On the ground, construction is steadily progressing on the ACC, the plant services building and the auxiliary boiler. In the solar field, more than 47,000 pylons and 26,000 heliostats have been installed. In the coming months, the team will begin commissioning the Unit 3 heliostats and calibrating them with the SFINCS software.

Bechtel Construction Workers Give Back

Bechtel Corporation, the engineering, procurement and construction partner tasked with building the Ivanpah plant, has a long-standing tradition of giving back to the communities where they work and supporting important causes. The charitable work that takes place at Ivanpah exemplifies this commitment. Over the past two years, the Bechtel team has worked together to purchase and assemble 170 bikes for Toys for Tots, collect relief funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy, donate to breast cancer research, establish recycling programs and much more. Read more about the team’s inspiring work here.

Ivanpah Project Reaches “First Flux” Milestone

A major milestone in the start up of Ivanpah, the world’s largest solar thermal plant, was reached today.  At approximately 3:55pm, more than one thousand heliostats focused onto the Ivanpah Unit 1 solar receiver, creating the “first flux.”  Solar flux is when a significant amount of sunlight is reflected off of the solar field mirrors.  The flux slowly heated the water inside the boiler to below the point of steam generation.  Before today’s first flux, the maximum amount of heliostats aimed at the boiler was 5-10 at a time for heliostat calibration (i.e. – inert flux operation).

“First flux is a very important milestone for the project and the solar field team is very proud,” said Gil Kroyzer, VP Modeling & Solar Field Design, BrightSource Energy, the technology provider for the Ivanpah project.  “We are now focused on reaching the point where we can place a full load of heliostats onto the boiler and push the project towards commercial operation.”  Over the course of the next month, the team will place additional flux on the boiler and begin producing steam to test the steam pressure.  When a certain level of pressure is reached, the system will be ready for steam blows to clear out any debris inside the pipes so that it does not damage the steam turbine once operational.

“First flux essentially demonstrates operational readiness of the project” said Mike Bobinecz, VP Construction Management, BrightSource Energy.  “After years of planning, engineering, manufacturing and construction, we are entering the final stage of start-up of the equipment and systems.  This represents a great achievement for the project and all of our partners.”  The 377 MW Ivanpah project is owned by NRG Energy, Google and BrightSource Energy and is being constructed by Bechtel Corporation.

Congratulations to the team on this major accomplishment.

Bechtel Construction Workers Give Back

Bechtel Corporation, the engineering, procurement and construction partner tasked with building the Ivanpah plant, has a long-standing tradition of giving back to the communities where they work and supporting important causes. The charitable work that takes place at Ivanpah exemplifies this commitment. Over the past two years, the Bechtel Ivanpah team has worked together to purchase and assembling 170 bikes for Toys for Tots, collect relief funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy, donate to breast cancer research, establish recycling programs and much more. “Giving back to the communities where we live and work is a part of Bechtel’s culture. Participating in charitable giving programs brings our project team together,” says Terry Copeland, Site Manager, Bechtel Corp. “We set goals to incentivize the team so our work becomes much more than delivering a great product for our customer. It’s also about supporting families in the region and improving the lives of others.”

A few examples of charitable giving at the Ivanpah project include:

• June 2011 – Bechtel collected more than $1500 during our first annual Ivanpah Project Golf Tournament and presented a check to the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Henderson, Nevada.
• August 2011 – Bechtel donated $2,000 to the Autism MX project, a non-profit organization based in Temecula, California which aims to bring awareness, understanding and acceptance to Autism within the local motor cross community. The donation was made in support of the organization’s Autism MX Day Camp held on October 1, 2011.
• September 2011 – Bechtel began a recycling program with the Urban Conservation Corp (UCC). The UCC is a green job training program for young people living in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California. Each year the UCC trains hundreds of unemployed young people to successfully enter the workforce, especially in the green job industry. UCC collects empty plastic water bottles from the Ivanpah construction project and transports them to the Cal Recycle to be redeemed through California Redemption Value (CRV) for five cents per bottle. Since inception of the program, the UCC has collected more than 70 tons of recyclable bottles and earned over $10,000 through the CRV.
• November 2011 – Bechtel participated in a fundraising event benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, Nevada. The project sponsored a Christmas tree ($900) which was then auctioned to the public. This event is one of the largest fundraising events for the local Boys and Girls clubs.
• December 2011 –  Bechtel donated over 1200 toys to the Toys for Tots program run by the US Marine Corps in Twenty-nine Palms, California. Additionally, each employee paid $10 for to attend the Ivanpah project’s Christmas party, which the project then donated to the Toys for Tots program – a sum totaling more than $1600.
• July 2012 – Bechtel collected $2000 during our second annual Ivanpah Project Golf Tournament and presented a check to the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Henderson Nevada.
• September 2012 – During the Ivanpah project’s Family Day, a check for $7300 was presented to Nevada Homeless Alliance that supports homeless veterans.
• October 2012 – Bechtel presented a check in the amount of $4500 to the Susan B. Komen fight for the cure.
• November 2012 – Bechtel donated more than $7500 to the Red Cross for distribution to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
• December 2012 – Bechtel collected funds project wide and purchased 170 bicycles that were assembled on site by union iron workers, pipe fitters, teamsters and non-manuals. The bikes were then shipped by the teamsters local to the US Marine Corps in Twenty-nine Palms, California and to the local teamsters union hall for distribution under the Toys for Tots program.