MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Xcel Energy today announced an agreement has been reached with Bechtel
to provide engineering, field engineering and construction services at
the utility’s Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear generating plants.
As part of a five-year contract signed Wednesday, Bechtel will establish
on-site engineering, construction and project controls staffs at each
plant. Bechtel also will have the capability to manage projects and
provide project engineering and construction services, referred to in
the industry as “design-build” services. Bechtel was selected after a
competitive bidding process.
Currently, a number of external firms and in-house contract staff
provide engineering, field engineering and construction services to Xcel
Energy nuclear plants. Under the contract, most engineering,
project-related contract staffing, and maintenance and modification
craft services will be transferred to Bechtel. Approximately 80 existing
engineering, field engineering and construction contract workers will be
affected by the change.
“We expect that integrating engineering, field engineering and
construction activities in a single provider will result in more
predictable and efficient completion of capital projects and delivery of
plant services, which ultimately will benefit our customers and
stakeholders by providing more cost-effective and reliable electricity,”
said Dennis Koehl, Xcel Energy vice president and chief nuclear officer.
“Bechtel has a long history with Xcel Energy, dating back to the late
1960s when we designed and built the Monticello plant,” said Carl Rau,
president of Bechtel’s nuclear division. “The integration we’re
announcing today is a forward-thinking approach for our industry, and we
are very pleased to continue our relationship on this significant
endeavor. We share Xcel Energy’s goals of increased plant reliability
and improved end product for their customers.”
Among types of work Bechtel employees will perform under the contract
are:
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Construction activities associated with capital projects and
modifications; outage maintenance and modification craft augmentation;
day-to-day support for scaffolding construction and disassembly, and
construction labor.
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Engineering services, including detailed design activities in
performance of capital projects modifications such as security
projects, equipment reliability modifications and plant infrastructure
upgrades and specialized engineering analyses for plant operation.
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Field engineering, including performing detailed work planning and
field implementation support for capital projects and modifications
such as major equipment replacements and upgrades.
Bechtel is one of the world's premier engineering, construction, and
project management companies. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has
worked on more than 23,000 projects in 140 countries and all seven
continents. Today, its 49,000 professional and craft employees are
teamed with customers, partners, and suppliers on hundreds of projects
in nearly 50 countries. Bechtel has served the nuclear power market for
over 60 years, has worked at more than 150 nuclear plants worldwide and
has provided services to over 85 percent of the U.S. nuclear fleet.
Today, Bechtel has more than 3,000 employees working on nuclear
projects. For more information, visit www.bechtel.com
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas
company that provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related
products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9
million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies
in eight Western and Midwestern states. Company headquarters are located
in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.
Source: Xcel Energy
Contact:
Xcel Energy
Media Relations, 612-215-5300
www.xcelenergy.com