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Since 2015, Black & Veatch has provided nuclear engineering services to Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station as an engineer of choice (EOC) provider. More than 200 Black & Veatch nuclear professionals have been engaged to help complete nearly 80 design, maintenance or upgrade projects at the plant.

Nuclear power plants have long used EOC providers to address challenges and implement long-term upgrades – to maintain regulatory, safety and reliability standards. An EOC allows utilities to scale resources efficiently by providing access to experienced, trusted engineers as needs dictate while also improving the planning, budgeting and execution of projects with added scale and flexibility. Labor costs are just a small part of a utility’s operational expenses. However, having an EOC with a wide range of capabilities can simplify a project’s proposal and deployment process and significantly improve bottom line results. Therefore, choosing an EOC provider that prioritizes collaboration is important. It helps owners and operator constantly monitor, meet, even enhance cost, schedule and quality goals. As Energy Northwest’s EOC, Black & Veatch met the imperative to contribute as a trusted extension of the utility’s organization and maximize the value of its services.

“The mindset and culture we dedicate ourselves to is simple: Treat the Columbia Generating Station like it is our own,” said Tony Bockelman, Black & Veatch’s project manager for the EOC program. “The approach drives us to work toward the right solution as a unified team with Energy Northwest.”

That seamless mindset is critical when working in a nuclear environment where safety, security and regulatory compliance are top priorities. For EOC projects, Black & Veath relies on proven program and project management processes to bring consistency to problem-solving and delivery. Each EOC project is assigned an experienced project manager trained in Black & Veatch’s management methods and industry standards to execute engineering projects under the standard design process, from the initial scoping of the work through the final implementation. Each project is built on a foundational and agreed-upon understanding of the challenge and the proposed solution, with time taken to review concepts that may simplify or improve the solution. This diligence gives the entire team confidence they are progressing on the best path to efficiently solving the problem.

Rigorous Kick-Off Process Leads to Efficient Execution

Two specific projects at the Columbia Generating Station highlight the benefits of this process. In both cases, Energy Northwest requested plant modifications in difficult-to-reach areas, adding complexity to the labor effort while increasing implementation costs. Black & Veatch identified alternative locations with easier access to implement the modifications, saving the utility hundreds of thousands of dollars along with major reductions in required personnel and decreased radiological dose to workers.

Project > Collaboration at the Core of Engineer of Choice Role for Energy Northwest

Sharing Lessons Learned Aids Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

Gathering and consolidating lessons learned and other plant knowledge and distributing it to all levels of the team filled gaps, enabling faster onboarding and responsiveness. For example, after experiencing a plant issue right before a scheduled maintenance outage, Energy Northwest and Black & Veatch were able to quickly address the problem within the required three-week timeframe. Over the next 14 days, the Energy Northwest and Black & Veatch team evaluated two different solutions, developed two design equivalent change packages, and prepared and verified two pipe stress evaluations, helping to establish alternate plans as mitigation measures. The openness to innovation and doing a design differently in the end made the solution better and less expensive.

In 2023, Energy Northwest extended Black & Veatch’s EOC role for another four years. The work involves engineering services such as instrumentation and control, mechanical, piping, and civil and project management including modifications for an extended power uprate to increase plant output.

For more information about how Black & Veatch can help with your nuclear plant engineering and modification needs, contact Kristen Braun, Nuclear Business Line Director, Mark Gake, Nuclear Technology Portfolio Manager, or Jeffrey Gilchrist, Client Account Manager.