Uponor Norge AS
Karenslyst Allè 8B, 0278 Oslo, Norge
Casestudier

A raw water system for the new power unit, Jaworzno, Poland

A raw water system for the new power unit of the Jaworzno Power Plant

At the end of 2019, a new power unit with a capacity of 910 MW will be ready in the Jaworzno Power Plant. One of the key elements influencing the efficient operation of the new power unit is a pipeline supplying water to the cooling system and to the flue gas desulphurisation plant. Any failure within this system could result in the shutdown of power generation. To ensure its failure-free operation, a polyethylene-made pipeline (PEHD) with a length of approximately 9 km was installed (in mining damage conditions), of which 3 km uses the trenchless technique – relining.

Prosjektfakta

Jaworzno, Poland
Industriområde
Spesial løsninger, Industrielle rør
Ferdigstilt: 2018

Uponor engasjement

Pressure pipes PE100 PN16 SDR11 DN980x88,9 mm and PE100 PN10 SDR17 DN910x53.9 mm - a total of about 9 km and fittings

When planning the raw water pipeline, the investor, Tauron Wytwarzanie S.A., assumed that it would be composed of GRP pipes. One of the decisive factors taken into account at that time was the investment costs, as a GRP pressure system is cheaper than PE.  In view of the fact that the pipeline was to be built in areas where mining damage has occurred (including category IV areas, the highest category) and, consequently, in places where the use of separable connections would be very risky, Uponor Infra requested a technical dialogue with the Investor. Eventually, the Investor initiated discussions. The Investor decided that the system’s failure-free operation was crucial, as stopping the operation of a power plant as a result of its failure would result in financial losses of even several million PLN each time. As a result of the conducted analyses, the Investor decided to redesign the pipeline and replace the GRP technology with the PEHD technology as a matter of urgency. At the same time, the Terms of Reference (ToR) required the manufacturer to grant a guarantee not only for pipes and fittings, but also for connections. The Uponor Infra  company provided 5-year references on the failure-free operation of its products in similar conditions and provided a warranty for the entire system (both for the material and  weldings), and therefore it became involved in the project implemented in Jaworzno. 

A complicated operation

The new block in Jaworzno will receive water from the Dziećkowice reservoir. The pipeline for its transmission is approximately 9 km long, of which approximately 6 km is laid in an open trench and approximately 3 km is constructed using the trenchless technique – relining. WehoPipe DN910 x 53.9 and DN980 x 88.9 pipes produced at the Uponor Infra factory in Kleszczów were used for the construction of the raw water pipeline. Due to the high pace of pipe-laying, the production was carried out in two parallel lines in order not to cause supply stoppages and therefore not to stop the works – this required the manufacturer to ensure a high degree of flexibility and careful planning of the production and delivery schedule.

In total, 201 pipes PE100 SDR17 DN910x53,9 with a length of 15 m each and 386 pipes PE100 SDR11 DN980x88,9, also 15-metre long, were produced for the construction of the raw water pipeline. Deliveries of pipes and fittings took place in the period from October 2017 to September 2018. This required the mobilisation of more than 170 transports. Every delivery had to be carried out according to the procedures of the construction site, so it had to be notified in advance each time due to the need to unload and arrange for the storage of the materials. 

In 2018, an average of 2190 people worked on the construction site of the 910 MW unit in Jaworzno each day. On the other hand, on the part of the pipe manufacturer, at the moment of the highest concentration of work, three operators were working simultaneously with three welding machines for the DN910 and DN980 pipes. In order to meet the deadlines, Uponor’s service teams were expanded to include welding teams from the piping company, which were supervised by an employee representing the supplier. The work related to the welding of the pipes was carried out in the period from December 2017 to September 2018. Since positive temperatures had to be maintained at the welding site, tents and heaters had to be used in winter.  

Why choose polyethylene-made pipes? 

The construction of cubature structures and infrastructure facilities in areas where mining damage occurs is particularly demanding and involves increased risk. Therefore, in order to avoid potential failures, in the case of the pipeline construction for the new power unit in Jaworzno, polyethylene-made pipes with increased strength parameters were used. The main advantage of PE pipes over GRP is their flexibility, which allows for significant elongation without interruption of continuity, which means maintaining continuity of operation especially in areas threatened by landslides or rock-backs. It is also important that the PE pipes are welded so that the pipeline is homogeneous and there are no gasket connections that could, with such high categories of mining damage, simply become unsealed. For comparison, the GRP system is much more rigid and the individual components are connected by means of cups with a gasket.
In such difficult working conditions, the proposed construction technology proved to be the only one that provided real operational safety for this water supply system.

Big projects are almost a matter of everyday life

The project implemented in Jaworzno is not the first project of its kind undertaken by Uponor Infra. Previously, the company was involved in the construction of power units at the Bełchatów and Kozienice power plants (raw water pipelines). It also participated in the modernisation of the cooling water system and the circulation system for the Zakłady Azotowe Puławy (Azoty Group) and in the renovation of industrial and cooling water pipelines (Synthos S.A.). Further large contracts are planned in the industrial sector for next years, because the HDPE system, due to its advantages, is becoming an increasingly frequent choice of investors, for whom reliability is the key issue.

 

 

 

A raw water system for the new power unit of the Jaworzno Power Plant

Elektrownia Jaworzno rury PEHD

Prosjektinformasjon

Prosjektinformasjon

Land
Poland
Ferdigstilt
2018
Prosjektype
Ny bygning
Bygningstype
Industriområde

Partnere

Partnere

Designer: 
Uniserv S.A.

Investor: 
TAURON Wytwarzanie S.A. Oddział Elektrownia Jaworzno III w Jaworznie

Contractor: 
Uniserv S.A.

Lignende prosjekt

Fiskeoppdrett med minst mulig avtrykk

Fiskeoppdrett med minst mulig avtrykk

Oppdrettsselskapet Andfjord Salmon AS har ambisjon om å skape en bærekraftig, miljø- og fiskevennlig onshore fasilitet – som etterlater seg et minst mulig avtrykk. Denne patenterte fasiliteten kombinerer det beste fra både tradisjonelle merder til sjøs og landbasert lakseoppdrett. Inn- og utløpslinjene er bygget med robuste Weholite PE-rør og paneler med en forventet levetid på 100 år.
Weholite yields savings and smoother implementation

Weholite yields savings and smoother implementation

New dry land fish farm which will produce 3,200 tonnes of rainbow trout annually is being build in Eckerö in the Åland Islands. Uponor Infra has provided design assistance and delivers the pipes and is responsible for their installation and welding.

Record-breaking intake cooling system in the Philippines

Record-breaking intake cooling system in the Philippines

New challenges are where the Project Services Department at Uponor Infra feels most comfortable and can demonstrate its
continuously developing expertise. The aim on this occasion was to provide a seawater intake cooling system – a pipeline, intake structure and chlorination line – for the 420MW extension of the Pagbilao Coal Fired Power Plant on Luzon Island in the Philippines.
Sustainable  solution for  a pulp & paper mill

Sustainable solution for a pulp & paper mill

Weholite’s ability to withstand external wear, such as friction against the seabed, was an important criterion when the outfall pipe of Stora Enso’s pulp and paper mill in Nymölla, southern Sweden, had to be replaced.

 

 

Stora Enso Nymölla mill biogas facility

Stora Enso Nymölla mill biogas facility

Stora Enso Nymölla Mill in southern Sweden produces pulp- and wood-free uncoated paper and is the second largest paper manufacturing company in Europe. Nymölla Mill belongs to the "Paper" division and has an annual capacity of 340,000 tonnes of pulp and 485,000 tonnes of paper. The mill started in 1962 and has 540 employees. The paper manufactured by Nymölla Mill is recyclable, renewable and biodegradable. Approximately 90% of Nymölla Bruk's paper brands have eco-label certification that certifies the products' reduced environmental impact during the product's life cycle. Paper products from Stora Enso are available all over the world.
 
Record-breaking pipes in Keljonlahti

Record-breaking pipes in Keljonlahti

Construction of the pipe network for cooling water at the Keljonlahti power plant began in December 2008. 3,000/3,300 mm Weholite pipes were selected for the network. The combined length of the entire intake and discharge pipe network for cooling water is 1,714 metres.
Extension of the district cooling station seawater intake in Helsingborg, Sweden

Extension of the district cooling station seawater intake in Helsingborg, Sweden

 The district cooling system in Helsingborg involves the streamlining of current production. By means of seawater and using heat from the district heating network to power an absorption cooling unit, district cooling provides much better environmental values than electric cooling units. The district cooling station is an efficient source of cooling for buildings, industrial facilities and shopping centres.