1. Major milestones achieved at Tanjung Bin 4
11 Jun 2015
After several months of hard work, the team at Tanjung Bin 4 have overcome huge obstacles and
are now celebrating two milestones that point the way to the plant’s completion.
Unforeseeable ground movements impacted progress at the Tanjung Bin site causing 10 months
of delay to the project
The entire project has been re-thought to mitigate the effects of the delay
On 31 May and 03 June 2015, two pivotal milestones achieved – first fire on oil for the boiler, and
turbine on turning gear
For the last two years, we’ve heard little from the Alstom teams at Tanjung Bin, although they have been
working around the clock. They have shown not just endurance, but exceptional skill and resilience in
adapting to difficult conditions, after unforeseen physical conditions affected the Bunker Bay and Mill
foundations. Now that these significant milestones – first fire on oil for the boiler, and turbine on turning gear
– have been reached, the teams are ready to tell their story.
“Normally, we would communicate regularly on the progress of a project,” says Marc Villemin, Project
Director. “But with drastic changes and drawbacks taking place, we have been focussed on dealing with the
adversity to minimise the overall impact on the project completion date.”
Ground movement on the site – February 2013
The Tanjung Bin EPC project started on the 01 March 2012. The 1000MW ultra supercritical coal-fired
power plant is a turnkey project, with Alstom as the leader of a Consortium with its partners, Mudajaya and
Shin Eversendai, who collectively are supplying overall plant engineering, global procurement and logistics,
civil, electrical and mechanical construction, plus comprehensive commissioning.
The initial project plan put completion at 48 months, with an end-date of March 2016. All was progressing
smoothly until February 2013, when the soil movement was discovered which affected the foundations of
the bunker bay. This unforeseeable circumstance led to a complete demolition and reconstruction of the
2. bunker bay area, adding an extra 5 months to the project timeline.
Extra delays as more problems unfold
As a knock-on effect of the reconstruction, erection of the turbine hall was consequently delayed due to the
civil interface between the structures, and the main arterial routes for the electrical and piping links between
each of the buildings needed to be reconsidered. The entire site plan was compromised. These issues
added extra delay, putting the project 10 months behind schedule.
As well as the lost time, the team had to contend
with further soil movements as they worked to overcome the initial problem.
“We have had to completely re-think the project,” says Marc. “We had to re-design the foundations,
implement new technologies and completely re-sequence the erection of the whole plant. We had to invent
new methodologies of construction and to think laterally to overcome the obstructions.”
Teams worked harder, smarter and faster to make up lost time
The Alstom teams rose to the challenge, putting in hours of extra labour and working 24/7 to regain lost
time. They also stepped in where contractors and consortium partner teams were struggling, showing
leadership and initiative.
The excavation plan for the entire site was revised due to the soil instability. Excavations were
limited in depth as much as possible.
Critical areas were reprioritised, with some elements being descoped. The contractor workforce
was reinforced, with expertise deployed where it was needed most and work accelerated so teams
were operating 24 hours a day.
The construction sequence of the different parts of the site was changed, effectively re-drawing the
3. entire plan for the project
First fire and turbine on barring
On May 31st, the teams celebrated the first fire on oil in Tanjung Bin’s boiler, and on June 3rd, the turbine
was successfully rotated on turning gear. After so much anticipation, it was a great relief when both
procedures went without a hitch.
“This achievement is the result of everybody’s hard work,” says Marc, “and I congratulate the site teams
who have been the ones implementing this success.”
Delays reduced significantly
There’s more good news for the team – the delay has now been reduced from 10 months to nearing 2
months. There is still some way to go, and staff will continue to work all-out to achieve the planned
synchronisation date of September 2015. There is lots more commissioning work to be done and the team
is focused on their next milestones – steam blow and firing the boiler on coal.
“These milestones are major steps towards the completion of the project. The challenge is not over and the
game far from being won, but with such a team and such motivation, I am confident we will make it,” says
Marc.
“Step by step, we are bringing the project back on course, despite the difficulties and challenges, and
leaving behind the unexpected events we had to face.”