Mott MacDonald in US$18m diesel-genset project

Control room on Arzanah Island.

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Mott MacDonald is progressing with an US$18 million project from the Zakum Development Company (Zadco) Abu Dhabi to replace diesel gensets on Arzanah Island.

Phase one will see the installation of two new diesel gensets with 13.8 kV and 60 Hz terminal voltage inside a custom-designed engine room.

Part of Zadco’s Satah oil field, situated 200 km offshore of Abu Dhabi, Arzanah Island has water injection facilities as well as utility and accommodation loads, and requires 3.5 MW to 4 MW of power. As natural gas is not available on the island, power turbines are operated on liquid fuel, namely diesel.

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To reduce fuel consumption, Zadco had replaced some of its turbines with high-speed diesel generators. These proved to be more fuel efficient, but operated with recurring problems and occasional major breakdowns.

Zadco enlisted the services of Mott MacDonald to assist with the replacement of the diesel gensets with new ones to enhance the performance of the power plant. Engineers carried out an in-depth failure analysis, and suggested that the selection of medium-speed diesel gensets could provide the desired operational reliability.

Mott MacDonald was commissioned to provide design and engineering services as well as cost consultancy services for the project, in addition to health and safety and environmental impact assessments.

“The only way to access Arzanah is by fixed-wing aircraft for people or supply boats for shipments. As such, replacing generator equipment and power management systems is not straightforward.

“Mott MacDonald has an excellent track record in oil, gas and petroleum engineering and technical consultancy, and we were delighted that Zadco selected us for this commission,” said Mott MacDonald project director Alex Jacob.