Graycor Industrial Constructors recently completed a major retrofit for the Cardinal Power Plant in Brilliant, Ohio. The work at the power plant, which is jointly owned by Buckeye Power and Ohio Power, and operated by American Electric Power (AEP), focused on the construction and installation of Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization (WFGD) scrubber systems. The installation of these systems will reduce emissions from the facility and keep the plant producing a reliable supply of low-cost power for customers. The retrofit of the plant required more than 2,288 tons of structural steel and approximately 70,000 linear feet (more than 14 miles) of interconnecting process piping.

Although this was a major project at the plant, the plant remained in full operation during most of the construction period. Another aspect of the project was that the retrofit required that equipment be brought in by river barges because the equipment was too large to be shipped by rail or transported over the road. The close quarters in which the Graycor team had to work in also required careful planning and diligent safety procedures to ensure the project’s success. Given the restricted space available within the plant, the strategic installation of each piece of equipment was imperative. As barged deliveries were made, the equipment had to be installed in a very specific order, before the next piece of equipment would arrive, thus requiring strict coordination.