“It is a huge project, but with streamlined organisation and expertise, it is running like clockwork”. Albert van Aggelen is roughly half way through the modernisation and renovation of the cooling water system at Essent in Maasbracht (Limburg). A complex project. “But as such, all the more fascinating.”

Stork Technical Services was actually only to provide work in relation to the condenser of the Claus power station in Maasbracht, one of the largest power stations in the Netherlands. Selecting the thermal experts of Stork Technical Services for this project was a logical move by Essent, given that this company was the one that supplied the condenser in the first place. But it quickly became clear that replacing 40,000 copper pipes, each 10 metres long and a few other activities would leave only part of the work done. One thing led to another and Stork got the contract to upgrade the complete cooling water system and bring it into line with today’s requirements.

The project was divided into three parts, the most notable being the work on the condenser due to the scale and costs involved. Not only were the aforementioned pipes to be replaced by titanium versions, but Stork Technical Services also had to provide the engineering to control the cooling water system. “Essent aims to organise the control with an extremely high degree of automation. Ours is the job of describing the functionality of this automation and instructing the builders of the system”, says Van Aggelen. Other parts concern things like filtering water from the Meuse, overhauling pumps and repairing gearboxes. In total, the project involves an amount of around € 25 million.

The implementation of the project, which will be completed in August, is going successfully, with the customer praising in particular the attention to safety and housekeeping. “Naturally there is a lot of emphasis on the quality of the work delivered. Even if it takes more time and money than previously thought, we will be aiming to deliver the best possible service”, says Van Aggelen.