WorleyParsons RSA and the WorleyParsons Reading office in the USA (WorleyParsons GI) are maximising their combined expertise in an internal joint venture for the Kpone Independent Power Plant (KIPP) in Ghana.

Following Group Five International’s appointment in December 2014 by Cenpower Generation Ltd as the EPC contractor to design, build and commission the power plant, WorleyParsons and Group Five initially signed a Limited Work Order. The final contract was signed in June 2015 for WorleyParsons to act as the design engineering partner. This entails providing concept design, detail design, procurement support, construction and commissioning support up until the point of hand-over to the operational team.

Located 35 km east of Accra, the Kpone power plant is part of the Ghanaian government’s effort to address power shortfalls in the country. It will comprise a multi-shaft combined cycle configuration consisting of two gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators and a single steam turbine, and will have a nominal installed capacity of approximately 340MW. Power generated by the plant will be supplied directly to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the main distribution utility, through the Ghanaian grid.

A key challenge that the project posed, which WorleyParsons had to take into consideration, is that there are no reliable water supplies at the site. The project is based on all water requirements being supplied from the seawater system, with desalination by reverse osmosis and electrode-ionisation or mixed bed water treatment, to generate potable quality and demineralised waters. The desalination and water treatment plant forms part of the Group Five scope.

Senior Project Manager for WorleyParsons Walter Quinn says that 70% of the design work for the project is complete. “We are working hand in glove with the client on this fast-moving project so that as soon as each phase of the plans is completed groundwork can start on site,” says Quinn. “We have established a strong relationship based on trust with Group Five and have daily co-ordination meetings between ourselves and the client to ensure we work in unison.”
Quinn goes on to say that some of the major foundations for the power plant are completed and construction is progressing well, while the first steam turbine has arrived on site, representing the first major piece of equipment to be delivered.

“WorleyParsons GI in the USA is the ‘power engineering hub’ as they bring to the table a depth of experience in the global gas turbine-based power generation arena and are responsible for all the major pieces of equipment for the power plant, such as the gas and steam turbines and the boilers,” says Quinn. 

WorleyParsons GI will also manage the interfacing with the WorleyParsons Mumbai office which is undertaking high value engineering for the project, including drawing of the piping and instrumentation diagrams, Balance of Plant (BOP) foundation designs and BOP piping modelling.
WorleyParsons RSA brings the advantage of established relationships with local suppliers and manufacturers and is providing the balance of the work such as above and below ground piping, electrical connections to the sub stations, the tanks and the tank foundations.

Additionally, WorleyParsons’ Madrid office in Spain provided expertise on the Air & Noise model, while the Perth, Australia office performed the Gas Turbine Air Re-circulation and HRSG Stack Exhaust Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies and the Calgary, Canada office provided the expertise on hydraulics for the sea water circulating water system.

“The Kpone Project is an excellent example of how we can combine our global expertise and seamlessly cross collaborate within WorleyParsons to deliver a successful project, says Quinn. WorleyParsons' overall scope for the Kpone project is for all design data, data gathering, document preparation, conceptual and detailed design, integration of original equipment manufactured equipment and systems, administrative, management, meetings, compiling of operation and maintenance manuals, compiling of training manuals and liaison associated with the preparation, integration and completion of the entire engineering design and review cycles related to and in accordance with the Owner’s Design Book.