Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV is a 600 megawatt natural gas expansion near Williston, North Dakota, at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s existing Pioneer site. Burns & McDonnell and AZCO completed the project in October 2025, bringing two Siemens combustion turbines and six Wärtsilä engines into operation at a final cost of approximately $805 million.
Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV Provides a Contrast in Delivery Stage
The completed and fully budgeted Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV provides a useful comparison with newer gas fired projects that remain in the early planning stages, such as ONE Nuclear’s Project Cayman in Louisiana, which has secured site control near the RiverPlex MegaPark but has yet to identify an EPC contractor, turbine supplier, or construction timeline.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV
- Location: Near Williston, North Dakota, in the Bakken region
- Project Value: Approximately $805 million, according to Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- Client/Owner: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- Main Contractor: Burns & McDonnell, acting as EPC lead, with AZCO responsible for mechanical and electrical construction
- Key Components: Two Siemens STG6 PAC 5000F simple cycle combustion turbines at approximately 240 MW each, six Wärtsilä W18V50SG reciprocating engines at 18 MW each, and 15 miles of new 345 kilovolt transmission line
- Procurement Model: Partnered EPC delivery, with Basin Electric selecting Burns & McDonnell in 2022
- Construction Start: Groundbreaking held on September 11, 2023
- Expected Completion: Project completed in October 2025, following commercial operation of the final combustion turbine unit on August 18, 2025
- Strategic Impact: Basin Electric’s largest single site generation project since the 1980s, increasing total capacity at the Pioneer site to more than 800 MW
Project Team
- Owner/Client: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- EPC Contractor: Burns & McDonnell
- Construction Partner: AZCO
- Combustion Turbine Supplier: Siemens Energy
- Reciprocating Engine Supplier: Wärtsilä
Reported 28th July 2023: Burns & McDonnell has just started work on Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Pioneer Power Station Phase IV, a 600 MW addition to its current Bakken region natural gas-fueled power facility. Since the 1980s, this project will be the biggest single-site generation project for Basin Electric. Two Siemens STG6-5000F simple-cycle combustion turbines and six Wärtsilä W18V50SG reciprocating engines will be used in this project.
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According to load predictions, more power will be required by 2025 to support the Bakken region’s fast-expanding economic development load. Basin Electric selected Burns & McDonnell as its EPC partner in 2022 to offer planning, design, and project execution. This was in order to support the fast timetable necessary to add new capacity by 2025. Basin Electric was able to weigh in on these issues before mobilising construction to the site.
According to Matt Ehrman, Vice President of Engineering and Construction at Basin Electric, “A partnered EPC approach was really the only project delivery method that would allow us to meet the demand in such a compressed timeline.” “Burns & McDonnell and our team’s collaboration and transparency made for a seamless process that streamlined efforts early on to allow for quicker mobilisation to the site,” the author says.
History on the Pioneer Power Station Phase IV
The initial phases of development included obtaining environmental approvals and Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) backing. These formed the basis of the Burns & McDonnell scope. Burns & McDonnell is carrying out the project’s engineering, procurement, construction, startup, and commissioning in its capacity as EPC. With the aid of its construction company, AZCO, which is also helping the project with pipe and electrical prefabrication. Burns & McDonnell will self-perform the majority of the construction.
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