Pfizer Grange Castle

Pfizer

Grange Castle

Replacement/Upgrade of Generator Control and Protection Systems to support a Complex Site Islanding System

The Challenge

The project involved a complex site islanding system incorporating four 2.5MVA Diesel Generators (Caterpillar) and a 6.75MVA Gas Turbine CHP (Turbomach/Solar). Such a complicated arrangement is usually only configured on offshore platforms, FPSOs and ships. However, NeoDyne’s experience of similar systems made this a viable solution for Pfizer.

Pfizer’s project requirements included:

Turnkey replacement of existing PLCs, HMIs, synchronisers, protection relays, governors and AVRs without compromising the site standby power system
Full network upgrade to dual redundant managed ring networks with self-healing and fault detection
Upgrade of Gas Turbine and Diesel Generator synchronisers, governors, AVR and protection relays to allow Isochronous Load Sharing Control in Island Mode
Installation and tuning of Woodward load share controllers on each generator for frequency/voltage control in Island Mode
Upgrade of load level selection logic to determine correct site level depending on number of online generators, spinning reserve, reactive power reserve, voltage, frequency and negative ROCOF

Pfizer also required the integration of all systems into a Power Management System SCADA for data collation and system monitoring.

Our Approach

We replaced the original diesel generator protection relays with Woodward multifunction protection relays (MCDGV4-2) that record and store transient data triggered by an incident, giving Pfizer significantly more fault data.

We also replaced the control system, synchroniser and original obsolete PLCs with the latest Schneider offering.

As the original Woodward DLSC synchronisers and MSLC load share modules were not suitable for the islanding requirements, we designed and commissioned a system using Woodward MSLC-2 and DSLC-2 controllers.

Due to the multiple on-site network paths/arrangements, we configured the PLCs in each panel to determine which generators were connected to each other (and the grid) by monitoring network circuit breaker positions over a redundant network. This configuration allowed the PLCs to decide whether to run the generators in Droop or Isochronous Load Sharing.

Finally, we tested the standby power system with resistive/reactive load banks to simulate site load and mitigate any performance risks prior to go-live.

About Pfizer

Pfizer Grange Castle, West Dublin is one of the largest integrated biotechnology plants in the world and a key part of the Pfizer global manufacturing network. Grange Castle is licensed for the manufacture of commercial and clinical trial materials and has a very significant research and development function supporting some of the biggest selling biopharmaceutical products in the global marketplace.

NeoDyne has a strong working relationship with Pfizer Ireland and has been delivering Power Generation solutions at Pfizer’s Ringaskiddy, Newbridge, Loughbeg and Grange Castle sites since 2012.