From sandstorms to minus 40°C: how power plant mechanical solutions are designed and built to last

A mechanical solution installed at a power plant may have to withstand sandstorms, extreme cold, vibration, and the heat given off by the equipment around it. In demanding locations, customers increasingly look for a partner who can carry a solution all the way from an initial need through design and manufacturing to delivery. Key Account Manager Heidi Riihimäki and Design and Project Manager Esa Haapalainen work daily with the challenges of harsh operating environments and help find a solution that works on each site.

Electrification and the rapid growth of data centers are felt directly in power plant construction. Demand for electricity keeps rising, and with it the number of new plants, particularly in the Americas. Promeco delivers wherever the end customer’s plant is located, which in practice means anywhere in the world. The challenge customers raise most often is a familiar one: the same result, or a better one, must be reached more cost-effectively.

Site conditions define the materials and the structure

In a power plant environment, the mechanical requirements come from the conditions on site. Sandstorms, temperatures down to minus 40°C, high humidity, vibration, and the heat produced by the equipment itself all shape the choice of materials. At the same time, the solution must stay serviceable, with spare parts available and full traceability in place.

Standards and safety regulations vary from one market to another as well. Europe applies clearly more requirements than many other regions, and in Western markets the level of documentation carries weight. On top of the technical requirements, a solution must meet the regulations, approvals, and documentation practices of the destination country.

From customer drawings to in-house design and manufacturing

Promeco’s roots in power plant deliveries reach back to the 1970s, when the first thermal insulation covers were made to customer drawings. Today the scope is considerably wider: Promeco handles the design and the manufacturing in-house, and the installation too when that is part of the job.

“Some customers have learned that we can solve all kinds of things for them. They toss the problem over to us and say, sort this out, and we take it from there,” Haapalainen says.

Thermal insulation remains the core of these deliveries, keeping hot air contained where it belongs. Process ventilation solutions have grown alongside it, together with protective canopies for switchgear, motors, and pipework. The newest area is analyzer packages, which combine an enclosure, pipework and the assembly of the equipment itself.

Cost efficiency comes from design and manufacturing working together

When both design and manufacturing sit under the same roof, a solution can be steered from the outset towards whatever is most cost-effective to build.

“Because we manufacture it ourselves, we also know which version of a solution is the most efficient one,” Riihimäki says.

The Vaasa unit focuses on mechanical manufacturing and sheet metal work, and when a project calls for it, the group’s electrical expertise is brought into the same package.

“We have a skilled design team and a strong understanding of our customers. We know what they need and what they are aiming for, and we can answer that through design. Collaboration and project management are strengths of ours as well,” Riihimäki continues.

Making a large project easier to manage

A power plant is an enormous undertaking, and any single delivery may account for a very small part of it. That part still must run smoothly, because there are a great many variables in play. The aim is to get it handled with as little effort as possible.

“The customer gets a good solution from one source, without having to spell everything out,” Haapalainen says.

In practice, that ease comes down to a partner taking care of its own scope from start to finish, including installation on site when needed.

“A big project becomes far easier to manage when you have a reliable partner who sees their own part through to the end. Our design expertise also shows in solutions that are cost-effective and keep the project budget together,” Riihimäki says.

The feedback has been good. One example is a set of ventilation units delivered to Australia on a project where Promeco was a new supplier for the customer.

“We got really good feedback on the quality of the product and on the design solutions. The customer valued our view on how those solutions are best carried out, and they rated the manufacturing quality very highly too,” Riihimäki says.

The collaboration has continued in new projects since.

Electrification keeps demand strong

“Data center demand is carrying us now, and electrification will keep that need going well beyond it. After that, questions around security of supply may come to the fore,” Riihimäki says.

Changing requirements and new technologies are followed closely. Manufacturing methods are developed on a continuous improvement basis, and Promeco works with educational institutions to stay aware of what is coming next. Decades of experience bring confidence, perspective, and know-how to every project.

Do you have a power plant or industrial project coming up that calls for demanding mechanical solutions? Get in touch with our experts and let’s talk about how we can help from the early design stage onwards.