Black & Veatch served as programme manager across ten UK sites to create a 348-MW portfolio of short-term operating reserve (STOR) generation assets. STOR assets are a critical to the UK power network; rapidly dispatching power when demand is greater, or generation capacity less, than forecast by the National Grid Electricity System Operator.
Black & Veatch helped revitalise a challenged programme, and provide execution certainty that deadlines to qualify for Capacity Market revenue would be achieved. The UK’s Capacity Market mechanism ensures demand for electricity will be met as more intermittent renewable energy feeds into the grid.
Each of the ten project sites required the design, construction and commissioning of multiple flexible gas-powered generation installations and the switchgear, transformer and grid connection equipment necessary to export the power.
Black & Veatch provided programme and project management, planning support, commercial management and commissioning - from concept through construction and commissioning to handover.
The team identified opportunities to enhance and streamline the programme as work commenced; reducing significantly the risk profile, and providing much greater schedule and cost certainty. This was achieved by introducing Project Planning, Baseline Programming, Risk Analysis and Earned Value Analysis across all of the sites. To assist in optimising delivery, Black & Veatch introduced a Project Execution Plan for the portfolio, and individual Construction Execution Plans for each site.
The UK team was able to draw upon Black & Veatch’s global energy expertise to support many aspects of the programme. Other enhancements the company brought to delivery included fostering and enabling much greater, and more consistent, sharing of detailed information and standardised reporting across and between sites, client and supply chain; which drove efficiencies across the programme and greatly enhanced visibility of progress and challenges – and their solutions.
As a world-class provider of power generation engineering, procurement and construction services, Black & Veatch was able to instil best practice across the programme resulting in reduced risk, greater execution certainty, and ultimately a programme able to achieve the UK Capacity Market schedule.
The UK power sector’s investors, developers and energy providers need confidence in the quality of the advice they receive. The most complete analysis and insights will come from partners with expertise in both power generation economics and technology; and expertise across the project lifecycle. Black & Veatch’s performance on this project - and their ever-growing support for the UK STOR and battery storage projects necessary to realise the benefits of next-generation energy infrastructure - demonstrates the UK power team’s trusted advisor status.
