Whitby Cogeneration Project - Whitby, Ontario, Canada

First Rolls-Royce Trent Power Plant

The Whitby Cogeneration Plant was the first industrial application of the Westinghouse packaged Rolls Royce Trent 50 MW gas turbine/generator set.

Sterling Energy had responsibility for mobilizing this new, freestanding, operating entity owned by WestCoast Power and Atlantic Packaging. This represented the second such assignment from a project in which WestCoast Power is one of the owners.  Our O&M mobilization program scope of work included:

Sterling Energy recruited the team for this simple cycle plant in conformance with Ontario license requirements for Stationary Engineers. The total O&M team was 10 people, including the management and administrative staff.

Contrary to our normal practices, the Plant Manager participated in the recruiting of the balance of the staff, and worked closely with our Project Director in implementation of the programs developed by Sterling Energy prior to plant startup. He also directed the O&M team’s plant startup activities.

Whitby Cogeneration, being the site for the first industrial application of the Trent engine, posed special challenges for the O&M mobilization program. The prototype nature of this startup created a number of periods during which the startup was essentially brought to a halt.

Technical difficulties with the prime mover delayed commercial operation for an extended period. Sterling Energy and the plant staff utilized these pre-commercial period delays to move forward some of the management program implementation that normally takes place after commercial operation begins. These circumstances, coupled with early integration of the permanent Plant Manager, resulted in Sterling Energy completing its work before the facility attained reliable operation.

This team is defined by neither conventional organization charts nor position descriptions. Rather, each person has clearly defined physical systems and functional programs for which they have personal sponsorship responsibility.

System sponsorship entails broad responsibility for all aspects of the particular system, including operating procedures, spare parts inventory, preventive maintenance actions, major outage work planning and for finding solutions to chronic problems.

Other sponsorship areas include routine, ongoing responsibilities such as for the safety program, air quality monitoring, emergency preparedness, community relations, etc.

O&M Mobilization Services

• Team structure and culture
• Recruiting and staffing
• Orientation and indoctrination
• Management systems training
• Sponsor Program
• Personnel Qualifications Program
• Policies and procedures
• Maintenance management program
• Tools and spare parts purchasing

Business Entity Initiation

• Pay and benefit program
• Accounting setup and training
• Revenue and expense modeling
• Management policies
• Administrative procedures
• Procurement program
• Business Plan and budget preparation    

 

Plant Location:

     Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Commercial Operation Start:

     January 1997

Plant Description:

     Rolls-Royce Trent

     IST Once-Thru HRSG

     No Steam Turbine

Plant Owners:

     WestCoast Power

     Atlantic Packaging

Operating Company:

     Whitby Cogeneration L.P.

EPC Contractor:

     Nicholls-Radtke