Control and Precision

Final Backup Diesel generators: control in endurance

Control, for Ortec, means reiterating excellence, knowing how to supply it consistently and continually across all projects, under all conditions. The best example? An exceptional project over several years: that of equipping all French nuclear power plants with a Final Backup Diesel generator (FBD). A human and technical epic, and for Ortec a real demonstration of controlling ultra-complex projects.

Safety conditions
on a site

There’s introducing safety conditions on the site. There’s control of processes, but also contingencies and anticipating risks. There’s consideration of regulations, the delicacy of interventions, preparation and rehearsal of operations depending on the specific features of the site. There’s the constant quest for continuous improvement… Ortec combines all these drivers to achieve control of its operations on sites or on its customers’ sites. GPE Ortec: lifting operations for the FBD

Testimonial

Yannick Fons, director of Ortec’s Major Energy Projects department, tells how this control is achieved on a project as complex and demanding as that for Final Backup Diesel generators (FBD) conducted for EDF:

April
2014

Ortec, in a consortium with Clemessy and ABC, is selected to install a Final Backup Diesel generator (FBD) on each EDF nuclear power plant. This is one of the measures to improve the reliability of facilities, following the Fukushima accident in 2011. A delicate operation, to be repeated 36 times at industrial scale. Synergy and coordination from the preparation phase are the key to success of the work. From the outset, the 70 engineers and project designers working on the design of the facilities work in close collaboration across all Ortec business units. To optimise implementation, each decision is considered depending on the subsequent implementation phase of construction sites.

Mid-2016

After two years of preparation, studies and tests, the first project begins at the Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux plant. Electricity generator, large components (air cooler, cooling unit), auxiliary systems, electrical cabinet and ventilation: the Ortec teams are responsible for installing almost all the equipment inside the building, but also for installing the piping systems. This first site will test the working methodology for installing the following 35 FBDs. Each phase is analysed and recorded, identifying possible improvements. The first project begins at the Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux plant

2017

Successive sites are started and follow each other. Organisation of the work is refined a little further, taking advantage of previous experience. Accumulated knowledge and practice make each new site more efficient. Ortec branch offices provide their best technicians to support and train their colleagues. Thanks to this consistency, mutual assistance and faultless coordination, the teams will be able to maintain the pace over time. Because the challenge is immense: at the height of operations, 10 sites must be started in 10 weeks, i.e. one new site per week!