Burns & McDonnell Takes Reins on $17 Billion in U.S., Canadian Projects, Led by Gas-Fired Power

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--For four years running, Engineering News-Record has named Burns & McDonnell Incorporated (Kansas City, Missouri) its top U.S.-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm for the overall Power Industry. But the company also is showing strength across a range of sectors, including telecommunications and data centers. Industrial Info is tracking $17 billion worth of active projects in the U.S. and Canada involving Burns & McDonnell, almost 60% of which is attributed to projects in the power-generation sector.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 U.S. states and Canadian provinces for projects involving Burns & McDonnell.

The bulk of Burns & McDonnell's U.S. and Canadian projects involves natural gas-fired power generation, particularly the construction of natural gas-fired, combined-cycle (NGCC) plants. One of the largest is Robinson Power Company LLC's $1.16 billion Beech Hollow Power Station in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. The facility would comprise a pair of 296-megawatt (MW) combustion turbines with duct-fired heat-recovery steam generators, and a 462-MW gas turbine, all manufactured and supplied by General Electric (NYSE:GE).

The state's Department of Environmental Protection approved construction of a 1,000-MW facility in October 2017, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but is again reviewing the project after the estimated output was increased to at least 1,054 MW. The project also is being reviewed for a land-use permit by the local township board of supervisors, which recently voted to delay taking action following a public hearing, according to the Gazette. The deadline for the land-use permit is December 22. For more information on the project, see Industrial Info's project report.

Another NGCC project is under construction in Canada and set to wrap up at the end of the year: SaskPower's (Regina, Saskatchewan) $680 million Chinook Power Station in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, for which Burns & McDonnell is providing EPC services. The 352-MW project, which kicked off in early 2017, is expected to include a 242-MW gas turbine and a 110-MW steam turbine, both from Siemens. For more information on the project, see Industrial Info's project report.

One of the most visible trends in U.S. power generation over the past decade has been the rapid replacement of coal-fired plants with natural gas-fired facilities, but some power providers are opting for a combination of the two sources. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) plans to wrap up an estimated $150 million fuel conversion at its power station in Belews Creek, North Carolina, before the end of the year. Duke, which is employing Burns & McDonnell as engineer, plans to convert a pair of fully coal-fired boilers to instead use 50% natural gas and 50% coal, while maintaining the plant's 2,160-MW output. For more information on the project, see Industrial Info's project report.

In addition to its work on natural gas-fired facilities, Burns & McDonnell is maintaining a role in North America's accelerating development of renewable energy. TradeWind Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Enel Group (Rome, Italy), hired Burns & McDonnell to handle the environmental side of the project management for its $495 million Aurora Windfarm in Tioga, North Dakota, which is expected to generate 300 MW from 121 GE wind turbines. State utility regulators approved the project, which is positioned in the oil-rich Bakken Shale, this past spring. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Burns & McDonnell also is performing engineering services for several transmission-related projects, such as MMR Group Incorporated's (Houston, Texas) proposed power lines from Willcox to Eloy, Arizona. The project, which includes an estimated $438 million pair of single-circuit lines and an estimated $146 million substation in Willcox, is in its permitting phase and is expected to begin construction toward the end of the year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the power lines and substation.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com/.